Evenings
by S.Walden
Summary: Drabbles concerning my headcanon. Span the entirety of Yamato's life in no particular order. **Chpt 18** Miyako decides it's now or never to reconcile her friendship with Yamato. Post-trial, before V.
1. Chapter 1: Christmas

Evenings

Chapter One: Christmas

Sora sighed, "Do you always fight with your brother like that?"

"He's my brother... what am I supposed to do?" Yamato sighed.

"True," Sora giggled. "You're an interesting drunk, you know?"

"I've never drank before," the blonde admitted. "Well, unless you count me wanting to get wasted from my father's stash and chickening out last minute. Stuff tasted horrible as a kid, but now, it's kinda weird. I don't mind."

"I only drink occasionally," the redhead replied, "My Mom would kill me if she knew..."

"Well, we are only on the tail end of middle school, not exactly of legal age or anything," Yamato laughed. "Where are you taking me, anyway?"

"To sleep this mess off," Sora replied, "I doubt you want your father seeing you like this and I can't take you back to my Mom's. When I brought up Takeru's a second ago, you nearly decked me."

_If I showed up like this at Mom's... I bet she would take the chance. Like you are now, Sora. What am I doing here? I'd rather face my Dad than do this, but I can't move. My mind's too clouded. What have I done?_

* * *

"Here we go," Sora announced. The room was huge with an equally as huge bed in the center. There was a dresser, a TV, a bathroom, and a walk in closet. Two nightstands. Everything was pink with hearts, like a Valentine's decoration exploded.

"A love hotel," Yamato whispered.

"Yeah, well, it was closest," she said. Then Sora laughed. The alcohol was getting to her, too. "Um, actually, since it's Christmas Eve and all... I had this prebooked. I was hoping we would finally take this a little further."

"What?"

"We've been dating a year, Yamato. A year is a long time to barely even make out with the one you love," Sora said.

_I don't like women_, he reminded himself. As he sat down on the bed, he felt Sora push him down. Immediately fear overtook him, like a bad omen. _I'm too weak to stop this. _

"Yamato, is it okay?" / "Yamato, everything will be okay."

_Mom...? No, this is Sora. Sora. Your friend._

"Yamato?" Sora asked, brushing back blonde locks. "I asked if this is okay."

_I don't have a choice. You'll do this anyway. You always do._ "Yeah... whatever..."

With that Sora kissed him and wrapped her arms around him. She slowly climbed on top of him. "I'm glad we can finally do this." / "We're finally alone." She slowly began to unbutton his shirt and then pulled back either side to run her hands over his chest. She kissed him again and snaked her hand lower. When she giggled through his lips, he could only hear his mother's gasps.

He grabbed her arms and pushed her away. She managed to stay on top of him. "What's the matter?" she demanded. / "Don't make Natsu, angry."

Yamato closed his eyes, "Sorry."

Sora shrugged it off and kissed along his neck, still teasing him lower. After she had enough of that, she removed her shirt, then her bra. "Do I look nice?" / "Is Mommy beautiful?"

The blonde shook his head slightly. Sora took this as a yes and kissed him again, before pressing her chest against his.

Yamato threw Sora from him but she wouldn't falter and held him down. She wasn't stronger than him, but his mind said he wasn't and so when he lifted his arms, it only came out as a desperate struggle. Sora giggled at him, but he could only hear his mother's laugh. That kind of laugh when you say something stupid or do something cute.

"You feel wonderful, Yamato," she said, "I like it when you're like this."

"Get off me," he hissed.

Sora obliged, wondering what he was up to now. He shoved her down, holding his hands around her neck, "How does it feel when this happens to you?" he cried, tears falling onto Sora's face. She scratched at his wrists and managed to pry him off of her. He sat on the other side of the bed, staring down at his bleeding arms.

"Yama...?"

"Don't call me that," he snapped.

"Yamato, what's wrong with you?" she demanded.

"What's wrong with you?" he retorted, grabbing her wrist. She couldn't make him let go, even when she tugged at his hand. "Why are you doing this?"

"This is what we wanted." / "This is what you wanted."

"I never asked you for this," he breathed, "I hate you." He grabbed her other hand in his and Sora saw that she was in danger this time and kicked him over the edge of the bed. He dragged her down with him and they fought on the floor until Sora was crying.

"Yamato, it's me, Sora! Why are you doing this?"

"S-Sora," he whispered and backed away. The name was sobering to him and he looked at the blood smeared across his arms and the tears on Sora's face. He backed away until he hit a corner. "Sora, I'm sorry."

"What's wrong with you?" she screamed, clutching the sheets to her body. "What did I ever do to you?"

"N-Nothing..." he replied, tears flowing silently from his eyes. "Sora, I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't good enough. Yamato, you attacked me."

"I... I didn't mean to..." he replied, still dazed. He stood, adjusted his clothes, and found his wallet and keys, then headed for the door. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Sora could only cry. She didn't understand. She couldn't understand anything. There was no reason for him to act like this. She leaned back against the bed for a moment, before she could feel his skin crawling under her nails and took a shower. She stayed the rest of the night, trying to wash whatever it was that had scared him from her body.

Yamato wasn't too far from home and when he tried to use the key and failed, he began banging loudly. His father rushed to the front door and opened it. His son seemed out of it and there were cuts on his arms, a bruise on his face. "Y-Yamato," Hiroaki whispered.

"I need to lay down," the blonde stated, then went over to the couch.

"Are you alright? You're bleeding," he insisted.

"Fine," Yamato replied.

Hiroaki went and got some medicine. The tiny cuts were too numerous to bother with band aids. "What happened?"

"...nothing."

"Something happened."

"Nothing, damn it!" he screamed, burying his face into his knees and wrapping himself in his arms, shooing his father away as he tended the wounds.

"You were drinking," his father reminded. "You probably don't remember. Whatever it is, we'll talk about it tomorrow." Hiroaki set the medicine aside and ran a hand through his hair. He laid his son down and gathered a quilt from the closet, tucking it over him. "Get some rest."

"I can't... sleep... can't stay awake... no matter what I do... I see her..." Yamato whispered all this admist tears and exhaustion and his father didn't understand. All he could do was stay with the boy and brush back his hair until he did finally pass out, much like he did when he was a kid. All Hiroaki could see until now was his little boy, but in that moment he realized things were changing.


	2. Chapter 2: Graduation

Evenings

Chapter Two: Graduation

A/N: So, after my wife and I developed our headcanon further, most of the original draft was highly inaccurate, so I rewrote it. Enjoy.

* * *

Yamato was still holding his diploma in his hand, in a bit of a shock. If anyone had told him that four years ago he would be here he would've given them a simple, "Fuck off." and found the closest thing to make him feel better. Now, it felt like old times as he was surrounded by his friends- even Mimi had flown in from America.

"Congratulations, Yamato," Taichi said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Yamato couldn't help but blush a little as he looked at Taichi and Koushiro- the two had grown into quite the couple. "T-Thank you," the blonde replied.

"Niisan," Takeru greeted, rushing up to his brother. With a hug he gave his congrats and then turned back to Hikari, who he had dragged over. She gave a polite bow, looking between them.

"Ahh! Yamato! I'm so PROUD of you! ...especially since I wasn't able to finish." One would think his mother was crying such things, but it was Mimi, shoving her way through the throng of other graduates. She elbowed someone in the side as she rushed forward and then stopped just short of Yamato, jumping in place. "I KNEW you could do it!"

"U-Um, thanks," Yamato replied, trying not to blush worse. "It's no big deal, guys."

"For you it is," Taichi snorted.

Yamato glared playfully and then scoured the room. The younger kids hadn't made it and he still wasn't sure if Sora would show- they hadn't talked since Middle School. That only left Jyou. The blonde frowned at his absence. _He's probably busy with all those premed courses..._

"Yamato."

The blonde turned behind him. There was Sora, smiling weakly. She held out a gift, almost like a peace offering. He hadn't seen her up close since that night and was relieved she looked well- much better than he had.

"I... I can't accept this," he started, but Sora shoved it in his hands angrily.

"_Please_, I know we both said and did some bad things, but that's in the past, isn't it?"

"...yeah," Yamato replied, a bit bewildered by the box in his hands. "S-Sora... I never got to explain or say I was sorry-"

"Don't worry about it," she said, waving him off.

Yamato noticed her clothes which were quite expensive. They weren't very revealing, but her mother had long-since cracked down on giving her daughter any form of expression. She was wearing light make up and a headband, too. Yamato was speechless. He had outright attacked her a year to the day after they had been dating and she was just here out of the blue, forgiving him. Noise escaped his throat and she giggled at him, then took his hand and they turned back to the group.

"I guess Mr. Ishida didn't make it?" she asked, leaning into Yamato's arm.

The blonde tried to shrug her off, but she must have took his action as a simple adjustment of her weight and stayed put. _What are you doing, hanging on me like we're still dating, Sora?_

"I saw him," Yamato said simply. _In the crowd when I was shifting my tassle. _Takeru made a somewhat surprised noise and Yamato nodded. _Yes, that means I saw __**her**__, too. I shouldn't have expected anything less, though._

"So... you two are still together?" Sora questioned, motioning her hand awkwardly towards Taichi and Koushiro.

"Unfortunetly," Takeru sighed as the boys glared at him. "I really wish you would reconsider your choices."

"What right do you have to judge them, Takeru?" Yamato snapped.

"I'm just expressing my opinion, Niisan," Takeru added, his hand still closely interlinked with Hikari's. She was nodding meekly at her brother who was puffing his cheeks. Koushiro looked to Yamato, as if thanking him.

"You know what?" Mimi asked, clasping her hands together, "We should all go get some punch as Yamato regales us with his plans for the future."

"Plans?" Sora questioned as the group started heading for the buffet table.

"Ah, space," Yamato replied.

"We need to look into colonizing other planets," Koushiro agreed. "I think you'll be a valuable asset to humanity's future, Yamato."

The blonde chuckled, unsure if his future profession would be THAT marvelous.

"Sounds boring," Taichi snorted. "Being out in all that darkness with a few co-workers for God knows how long."

"Indeed," Takeru replied, although Taichi was unaware that Takeru was only agreeing about the 'God' part of his statement.

"I'll be repairing satellites and shit," Yamato argued. "Besides, I'm not there yet. Worse comes to worse, I guess I can repair planes."

"...what happened to persuing music?" Sora had to ask.

Yamato groaned a little and finally shrugged her from his shoulder as he reached for a plastic cup for the punch. "I don't want all that attention." He wasn't going to mention that she had pretty much ruined that for him and that was why his band had broken up. Or at least, that was what he told himself.

"...astronauts are famous, aren't they?"

"Actually, it seems there is a diminishing popularity for space related pasttimes," Koushiro noted, "I must reiterate my earlier point. Yamato will be an asset."

"What makes me so great?" Yamato snorted.

About then the group started waving and Yamato glanced through his bangs as his father approached. He had managed a tux, at least, but he still looked ragged. He gave a grand smile, though, that lit up the room. "You're my son, that's what," Hiroaki said, putting his hands in his pockets.

Sora made another glass of punch and offered it to him. She had picked up the habit from her mother in her day-to-day training of future housewifedom. He thanked her and eyed her a moment, "Takenouchi, right?"

"Er, _Dad_," Yamato whisper-hissed. "I'm glad you made it."

"I may be a lousy father at a lot of things but I'm not missing this after you worked so hard. Thank you, Izumi, for helping my son. Where is that other young man that helped you, Yamato?"

"He's busy," Yamato said with a bit of disdain. _For the person I shared my first __**real **__sexual experience with and who helped me get to this graduation ceremony __**in the first place**__, you think he would be here_, Yamato thought.

"Ah, it can't be helped," Hiroaki replied. "So, how have the rest of you been?"

The group all gave their variation of 'fine'. "We'll let you two catch up," Taichi replied with a grin. He took Koushiro and Hikari with him. Sora eventually noticed her fifth wheel status and headed after the others.

This left Takeru to ask without causing a scene, "Have any of you seen Mom?"

"Not since the stage," Yamato muttered through punch.

"I talked to her on the way in... she said she's very proud of you, Yamato," Hiroaki lectured. Yamato continued narrowing his eyes at an empty spot on the wall.

"I'll go get her so you can tell her yourself," Takeru said somewhat angrily.

"Don't," Yamato warned, stopping his brother's advancement.

"...why not?"

"Because."

Takeru cracked his neck in frustration, "Because, because, because... that's all I ever hear out of you is because!"

"If I felt you should know I would tell you!" Yamato barked, setting down the gift Sora had given him on the table. They got a few quick glances from some surrounding classmates- luckily, most he hadn't known, ever.

"Yamato. This is your High School graduation... Takeru isn't a child anymore. If you don't tell him, I will."

"You said you respected my decision," Yamato hissed.

"Yes, when you were a child, but you're both nearly adults now. Takeru has a right to know what's bothering his older brother, don't you think?"

Takeru tapped his foot and crossed his arms, "Come on, Yamato. I can't fathom why you would disrespect Mom, but you're not going to disrespect our father, are you?"

Yamato growled, "I didn't want to do this _here_."

"Then go to the balcony. I'll be just inside," Hiroaki replied.

Takeru started outside and Yamato looked back worriedly as he followed. The two found a quiet, lonely space outside to talk. They stood in silence for a few minutes. Yamato turned to make sure his father wasn't watching them and removed a crumpled cigarette from his pocket and lit it with a lighter from his other pocket. Takeru said nothing, just waving the smoke away.

"...how do I even tell you?" Yamato mused to himself.

* * *

Jyou was a punctual person and so being late was an annoyance in itself. Being late for his true love's high school graduation was the end of the world as he rushed into the convention center and looked around. He couldn't find the boy, but he did see Sora, mulling over a small black box at the buffet table.

They weren't the best of friends, but they had their share of experiences together in the Digital World and he figured she would know where Yamato was. "Sora."

She looked up at him and tried to hide her embarassment and took the box from the table, hiding it behind her back, "Jyou-kun..."

"I'm a little late, ha ha..." Jyou said, "Have you... seen Yamato?"

"Uh-Um, no, I haven't. I was actually hoping to give him this gift. I think I saw his father around, maybe..."

"Hmm... alright. Well, good seeing you, Sora," Jyou replied, then headed off. Sora started squeezing the box in her hands, crushing the object inside. She held back tears and rushed off towards the bathroom in a huff, shoving past Mimi who went calling after her.

Jyou wandered still until he found Hiroaki by the balcony doors, talking with his ex-wife. He approached slowly, not wanting to impede on their conversation.

"I think Takeru should know, too," Natsuko sighed. Jyou noted her unusually tired appearance. Maybe she had put in too many hours at work, too. The parents nearly shared mirrored expressions.

"I'm sorry," Hiroaki said. "I wish Yamato..."

"Don't worry about it. I've thought a long time about this and there's no changing what's been done," Natsuko whispered. "I'll continue to pray for Yamato's forgiveness..."

Hiroaki noted the cross about her neck when he heard a light cough from his side. He turned to see Jyou Kido.

"Excuse me," the blue-haired boy replied. "I was looking for Yamato...?"

Natsuko smiled weakly at the young man. Jyou hadn't spend much time near the woman, but knowing what she had done and Yamato's feelings about her did anger a part of him, too. He hid this under an equally as weak smile and a nod. "He's outside," she whispered.

"Give them a minute," Hiroaki said, stopping his son's friend before he could head out.

* * *

"W-What?" Takeru breathed, clutching the rosary in his pocket. His eyes darted along the concrete railing as he tried to replay what his brother had told him. "No."

"...I should have told you sooner, but I didn't want to make you unhappy."

"...you're... you're lying," Takeru said, looking up at his older sibling. He cracked a smile and chuckled. "How far can you go, Yamato, really?"

"...sorry?" Yamato spat, tossing away his half-burned cigarette.

"Making up lies just because you're bitter with Mom about the divorce, really?" Takeru asked, bundling his fists. Yamato eyed them and shook his head in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?"

"...Mom could never do anything like that. I knew you were always mad at her for not staying with Dad, but this is insane. Absolutely insane!"

"What?!" Yamato barked. "Why would I make **that** up, Takeru?!"

"I just said it didn't I?!"

Jyou and Hiroaki turned at the raised voices and Jyou's eyes widened as the two boys began to scuffle on the balcony. He rushed out the doors, followed by the two parents, and started to break up the quarreling brothers, to no avail.

"How can you accuse me of lying?!" Yamato screamed, throwing himself at Takeru and forcing the boy to the concrete floor.

Takeru felt the air leave his lungs as it was knocked out of him and he punched Yamato in the cheek. When that barely phased him, Takeru kicked Yamato from him and then gave him a second kick for good measure. "Mom would have told me!" Takeru yelled.

"Enough," Jyou intervened.

"He's right, both of you stop it. Takeru-"

"Dad, he's lying!" Takeru insisted, then noticed his mother's expression. "Mom?"

Natsuko couldn't say anything and this only reinforced Takeru's opinion as he turned back to his brother with a bloody nose. Yamato's lip was busted open and he held it as he stood and stepped back, trying to cool off. Jyou held him and started to lead him back inside when Yamato passed his mother.

Natsuko backed away to let him pass, trying to be spared from his icy stare, but she could still hear him hiss at her, "It's all your fault."

Takeru shoved past Hiroaki, hearing the words himself, and shoved Yamato again.

"That's it-" Yamato growled, turning and elbowing Jyou away, grabbing Takeru by the collar and throwing him against the large window. Hiroaki grabbed Yamato and pulled him away as the crowd gathered nearby.

"Stop. Takeru, go take your mother home. We'll talk about this later," Hiroaki ordered.

"Heathen," Takeru spat, rushing to his mother's side.

"Your nose," Natsuko doted, raising a hand to her youngest son's face, pulling away with blood on her fingertips. "Takeru..."

"I'm fine. Let's get out of here before he makes up more outrageous lies," Takeru snorted, escorting his mother from the building.

Hiroaki grabbed Yamato by the arm and pulled at him as Jyou dispersed the crowd quickly, save their friends who had just arrived on the scene, including a teary-eyed Sora being comforted by Mimi.

"What the Hell happened?" Hiroaki snapped. "I said talk to him not kill him."

"Tch," Yamato snapped, jerking away. His eyes scanned his friends and he wondered how much they had heard. Probably everything. Embarassment- no, greater than that. Shame burned in his cheeks and he hid the redness with anger and ran the opposite direction his brother and mother had gone, shoving past not only Jyou, but tearing through Taichi and Koushiro as well.

"...Yamato?" Taichi whispered.

Koushiro eyed Jyou a moment, as if the two had some secret understanding. "Will he be alright?"

"...he'll be fine," Hiroaki reassured. "Please, let him be for now."

Jyou followed the trail of blood outside and into the fresh air with a heavy sigh. _ And I was worried about what to say to Yamato... looks like I won't even get the chance. Figures._


	3. Chapter 3: Sunset

Evenings

Chapter 3

[sunset]

A/N: I replaced the previous entry here, but it's not going to be deleted. I just wanted to expand it / reupload that snippet. Anyway, enjoy how Yamato got his harmonica in my headcanon. :)

* * *

"So, the boys are how old now?" asked Michel Takaishi as he set down his luggage in the guest room. The man batted away stray locks of blonde hair as he turned to face his son-in-law.

"Let's see... Yamato's just turned six. Takeru is three."

"I'm glad I could finally get an excuse through work to write an article here and come see them."

"Mm," Hiroaki agreed.

The two men were being tolerable of one another, although to everyone else, especially the watchful eyes of children, they seemed like good friends.

"Let me know if you need anything," the father said, then left the room. He never liked being around Natsuko's father. He had never approved of him, despite Natsuko's insistence to convince her husband otherwise.

When he returned to the living room, Hiroaki let out a sigh. His wife was lying on the couch with another migraine. How many had that made this week? This month? The entire thing had to be an act or she would have gone to the hospital by now. "Head hurts, does it?" he whispered, walking behind the couch and towards the kitchen. The boys trailed behind him and as Takeru stumbled, Yamato helped him with his balance.

Hiroaki stopped at where the carpet became tile, "You two stay in here. I don't want you getting hurt."

Yamato nodded and held Takeru back gently as the toddler whined to follow his father.

"How is he?" Natsuko called.

"He's settling in," her partner replied, taking a beer from the fridge. "Was it really necessary to let him stay here?"

"Where else would you have him stay, Hiro?" Natsuko whined. "It's just for a few days and he hasn't seen the kids since they were born... is that really fair?"

Hiroaki returned to the living room. "No, I guess it isn't. I don't mind him visiting, Nat, but staying with us? You know he hates me."

"He doesn't hate you," Natsuko pressed, rubbing her temples. "I think I need to go lie down."

"I'm taking you to the doctor next week. This is ridiculous."

"I hate hospitals. I hate doctors."

"We're aware of that. I had to fight you to take the kids in for their appointments. Last time I took them myself."

"Hiro..."

"What, Natsuko?" the father snapped. He didn't notice his children jump at the raise of his voice.

Yamato lured Takeru into the next room to play. The living room opened up with two huge swinging doors into a large sitting room. Beyond that was a balcony and the light was pouring in from the early morning sun. Takeru made a whining noise and Yamato had just about had it up to here with his little brother that day. "What?" he demanded. "What is it?"

"Oniichan."

Yamato sighed, slumping to the floor as his brother proceeded to 'waller' him, which was something akin to mountain climbing. For a moment Yamato cursed his own name and began to whine himself, "Takeru... get off me."

"Play with me."

"No."

"Play!" Takeru demanded, throwing his fist at Yamato's shoulder. The older brother wriggled Takeru from him and checked the sore spot.

"You're hurting my bruise," the older brother warned. He then pulled away from his sibling entirely and stared across the room as the sun danced on the floor.

"You have a boo-boo," Takeru said curiously and poked Yamato. He seethed at the touch and glared at his sibling, who didn't know any better.

"Yeah, so don't touch me," Yamato demanded and shrugged away again. Takeru flopped next to him and stared at his brother's stoic stare.

"Play!" Takeru demanded.

"No."

Meanwhile, Natsuko had retired to her room and Hiroaki was enjoying his time off the best he could with an ill wife, an annoying father-in-law, and two young children making racket in the room over. Soon, Michel joined him in the large armchair. They could barely see the two children arguing, but it made them both smile. "How is he doing?"

"Which?" Hiroaki suggested.

"Little Yamato. I heard he had quite the incident at school last week."

"Oh, that..." Hiroaki laughed a little. "He was just being overprotective. He's a strange kid; treats Takeru like the biggest bother, but goes out of his way to make sure he's safe. I don't get it."

"He's just trying to be a good older brother," Michel explained as if he knew all of God's knowledge. He had His pride as well. "Still, I'm surprised the parents didn't sue you for what little you have."

And there it was, Hiroaki thought. The insults start pouring in. He had learned to shrug them off, but this was more about Hiroaki's ability as a father than a man and that was what was making anger burn in his stomach. "The brat probably deserved it," Hiroaki defended. "I'm proud of Yamato."

"I doubt Natsuko approved of that," Michel retorted.

"She _didn't_, not that she has had much time to pay attention lately."

"Oh? Those dizzy spells?"

"Head-aches, too. I'm taking her to the doctor next week. I can't raise two kids on my own."

Michel snorted, "She's been doing it for the last three years, Hiro."

The father cringed at his wife's nickname for him being squeezed between the lips of this jackass. "I'm worried about Natsuko, aren't you?"

"Deeply, but she's headstrong..."

"Well, she needs to be put in her place," Hiroaki breathed without thinking. He had never heard himself sound so sexist, but the work, the sleep deprevation, _other_ depravations, were getting to him. "What I mean is, she needs to do what's best for her and the rest of us."

Michel didn't say anything more. Instead, he held a small harmonica in his hand. "You play?" he questioned.

Hiroaki nodded. "Not harmonica. You know I play bass, though. I know a little piano, too."

"This is a fine instrument," Michel said, waving the metal block in the air a little. Then he pulled another item from his bag. A vintage set of wooden blocks with the English alphabet on them. "This is for Takeru."

"They're nice gifts. But I wouldn't trust hierlooms to children."

"Natsuko's mother would want the kids to have them," Michel retorted. He took the items with him to the next room and Hiroaki watched carefully as the grandfather knealt down, seperating the two bickering children. They immediately stopped at the face of this strange man. Niether had any memory of the first time they met, but they knew that this broad shouldered, blue-eyed foreigner was important to their mother and he was being nice. He handed them the gifts. Yamato held the metal object awkwardly in his tiny hands. Takeru immediately spilled the blocks all over the playmat and began throwing them at one another. One hit Yamato in the leg, but he held back a cringe of pain.

"Yamato, this is a harmonica. I've had it for awhile now, but I would like you to have it."

"...why?" the tiny blonde wondered, staring at his reflection in the metal.

"Because, it will bring you good luck and who knows, maybe you'll be famous one day."

"Sounds dumb," Yamato admitted, stuffing the instrument in his pocket, but Michel reached for it. Yamato pulled away quickly with deadpan fear, but his grandfather grabbed the instrument anyway.

"It's okay," Michel whispered, puzzled by the kid's reaction. He took it as to them still being strangers and held the instrument to his lips. He arched it and showed Yamato how to hold his hands. "See? You try."

"No, I don't want to."

"Oh, well..." Michel chuckled, putting the gift back in Yamato's hand, "When you're ready then. At least Takeru is enjoying his gift from Grandpa Michel."

Yamato glared at his younger brother who was making loud noises and oo's as he built up the blocks and sent them crashing down again. Yamato then folded his arms. Takeru... always loved more than him. He wasn't punished... He wasn't 'special'... Yamato kicked the blocks prematurely and Takeru's eyes welled up and he began to cry. Immediately Yamato felt horrible and apologized, desperately trying to restack them.

"It's alright, Takeru," Michel said, patting the boy on the head. "See? Big brother Yamato is here to fix everything."

Yamato's blue eyes found their match in his grandfather's a moment before the tall man stood again, like the skyscrapers Takeru had only imagined, and then went back to the living room. Yamato shifted awkwardly on the floor and looked at Takeru, who was leaning far over to find a block.

"Let me... Let me get it," Yamato sighed and then went over and grabbed the wooden toy before handing it back. "Here you go."


	4. Chapter 4: Approval

Approval

Summary: Natsuko attends one of Yamato's last concerts, at Takeru's behest. She doesn't like what she hears. One-shot.

Warnings/Pairings: None

* * *

Yamato stood near them in silence after the others had left, congradulating him on the successful set. Takeru and Natsuko exchanged glances.

"It was nice," Takeru tried, but Natsuko scoffed at him.

"Lying is bad, Takeru," she started. Yamato immediately made a face, waiting for her to continue. "Was that really necessary? I can't believe that came from you, my little boy."

"Your little boy," Yamato seethed, barely making the words audible through his teeth, "I don't understand."

"Since when do you sing about things like that? Since when have you started cursing and talking about holding a pistol to-"

"I don't need you to validate me," Yamato started, his chest aching. He hadn't expected her to approve, but he didn't expect her to tear him down. Also, he was her son, no matter how much he hated it, and he wanted her approval even if it was a futile effort. "You didn't like it, that's fine, but no one asked you to show up, no one asked for your opinion."

Natsuko wasn't sure how to explain her disappointment, "It's a little morbid, don't you think?"

Yamato laughed, "Well, what did you expect? I'd paint you a rainbow, but I'm sure you wouldn't approve of that, either."

"I just don't understand why you couldn't make something that gives back to the world... that song was too dark."

"Like _listening_ to a mirror?" Yamato snapped, slinging his guitar over his shoulder. He wanted to get away, but Takeru finally broke his grip on their mother's hand to chase him down.

"You didn't have to do tha-" "-You didn't have to bring her here."

"She wanted to support you-" "By making me feel ashamed of myself. Sounds about right, sounds like what she's done to me my entire life."

"Yamato, stop it," Takeru ordered. "You could have played anything else, but you wanted her to know how you felt and you know what? She gets it. She knows you hate her. Why did you have to tell it to her again in front of the world, too?"

"Just go back to her. It's what you're good at," Yamato sighed, and continued back into the guest room.

Takeru shifted his feet and turned back to his mother. He held the rosary in his pocket and decided from then on he wasn't going to try and do the right thing anymore. Yamato would never listen to him. He would never be able to see the loving, caring mother Takeru saw, and Takeru decided that was fine. Everything was going to be fine.


	5. Chapter 5: Bathtime

Bathtime

Summary: "Your Dad used to be a good swimmer back in the day... maybe you can be too? Who wants to outrun a Seadramon?"

A/N: I had planned this for a long time. Takes place after Sora and Yamato have Hanako in the headcanon, but before Tsukuyomi is born. Also, I totally forgot how much I love to write at McDonald's!

Warnings: Implied abuse, if you squint. Pairings: Sorato

* * *

The little bundle cooed in his hands, her curious fingers reaching out to explore the mysterious liquid substance now enveloping her small form in the kitchen sink.

"Water's fun isn't it? Your Dad used to be a good swimmer back in the day... maybe you can be too? Who wants to outrun a Seadramon? You?" Blue eyes sparkled into ones that matched his own as he laughed and he realized how loud it was in the empty apartment. It had been so long since he laughed, too, that the sound scared him a bit. "Well, maybe I wouldn't be that good at swimming anymore..." the blonde said with a raspy cough to follow. An ashtray lay hidden under the sink, in the cabinet.

"I would still save you, even if you turn out to be a big a dick as your Uncle Takeru, though," Yamato smiled. "Also, you should see how water acts in space! A giant liquid sphere and-"

The baby let out an annoyed gurgle and Yamato frowned, his eyes narrowing playfully. "Fine, guess you don't want to listen to my lost dreams, either. You're stubborn you know. Like your mother."

The baby eyed him curiously and the father contemplated how much she truly understood of what he did say. All he knew was that it was so much better than silence. Yamato hated silence. He even started to hum as he reached for a cloth with the hand that wasn't balancing his baby girl, dipping it into the water and lifting it out.

"You're a messy eater, like your Grand Dad, so I guess you do take more than your looks from my side of the family, too."

The baby giggled and splashed in response. "I'm glad someone listens to me... sorry you have to be my personal shrink, Hana-chan."

Yamato held his smile as he finished bathing her, wondering what she was thinking about as the world around her suddenly began to grow clearer and wider. She had such an infinite future, compared to his own, dead one. If he held onto that, everything would be worth it.

The smile then faded at the sound of the lock moving at the nearby door. He saw a flash of red hair and a coat as his wife hopped inside from the cold. She started to slip it off and hang it in the nearby closet.

"Sora, you're back from the shop?"

"They can handle things," she replied. Her tone was dry. "... why do you sound so surprised?"

"I'm... not?" the husband started. "You're early, is all."

At this, Sora turned to him. Her beautiful apple colored eyes scanned him and narrowed, her lashes hiding any gleam of humanity beneath them. She moved from Yamato to the rest of the kitchen, as if looking for something. She noted the toddler's dirty clothes in the basket by the washroom and the high chair covered in strained... vegetables of some sort. Finally, she returned to her husband and the baby splashing happily in the sink. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, one hand sliding up her side to her lips. She swayed over [between] them and scooped the child in her arms.

"She's a messy eater. She needed a bath."

"She'll just get dirty again."

"But you do it all the ti-"

"Hanako, sweetie..." Sora equally cooed, bringing the child to her shoulder, covering her bare bottom with the crook of her arm. She turned away, making Yamato strain his neck to see either of their faces. "It's okay. I'm here."

Yamato didn't get a chance to speak, or rather, he couldn't. Sora had been like this a long time and it seemed every day it just got worse. He didn't want to say anything wrong and avoided pressing her, because when he did, the two's tempers flared and he would rather lose an argument than fight in front of their newborn. Sora took Hanako to her room down the hall, going on about what the child might want to wear.

_Sora is so particular about these things... I wasn't going to leave Hana-chan in dirty clothes..._ Yamato reasoned, pulling the plug on the sink. His heavy, sleepless eyes watched the water drain, twirl into the black hole. Long after the gurgling sound of the pipes faded, he continued to stare into that abyss.


	6. Chapter 6: Ground Zero

Evenings:

Ground Zero

Summary: If he said no, he would probably break her heart as equally as Jyou had broken his. He didn't wish this hidden pain on anyone...

A/N: I must note that the lyrics are some shoddy old poetry I drug out of a drawer. Nonetheless, please don't use them as they are mine. Thanks

Warnings/Pairings: One-sided Sorato, I guess. Hinted Jyoumato

* * *

December 2002

Yamato ran a hand through his hair, glancing down at the lyrics in his hand.

Yutaka leaned in with a smirk, "So, it's that again. Well, where's the lucky lady?"

"Ah," Yamato blushed with a smirk, "It's nothing. No one."

Yutaka blinked, watching the fond look in Yamato's eyes at the words hashed out on the paper. They were crumpled and yellowed from years of carting them around. "...there's someone important to you, isn't there? You're not much of a lovesong type... you're too vague for my tastes, actually." Yutaka snatched the paper and held it up to the light as if able to read some hidden message.

_Forever blue until I conquer the outside_

_My heart he stole_

_even though it was long-since shattered_

_All that's the past, though?_

_This hatred is too great an amount_

_My heart can't take it anymore_

_and my mind finished loading the round_

_All that's in the past, though?_

"Meh, doesn't sound like you," Yutaka sighed. "I say scrap it."

Yamato gave a weak smile when he noticed someone in the doorway. "S-Sora..."

She smiled over to him, holding a gift in her hands. "Yamato, I brought this for you."

Yamato stood and rushed over. He had to admit, he hadn't talked to the girl much in the last four years. Still, he occasionally heard things from Taichi, since they had soccer practice up until two years ago. Then, she kind of faded into the black. "S-Sora..." Yamato started, staring down at the present. He realized it was a home-made chocolate cake. One that had taken more effort than he deserved. "I can't acc-"

"I'm sorry to bother you before the show, but I couldn't wait," she said, bowing.

He blinked at her. "Sora, what...?"

"Please, Yamato. I'm asking... would you go out with me?"

He blinked in disbelief. This had come completely out of nowhere and it took him a minute to set aside the feelings he had been scribbling down a second ago to focus on the beautiful redhead in front of him. Having said that, attractive, sure, but the source of his stolen, shattered heart? Certainly not. He had hoped...

"Yamato?" she asked worriedly, rising.

The blonde felt stuck. If he said no, he would probably break her heart as equally as Jyou had broken his. He didn't wish this hidden pain on anyone, having to put his happy face to the forefront. He especially didn't wish this on Sora, who had been his friend since elementary and beared the crest of love and didn't deserve to have it broken. He spared her feelings for the time being. They would realize they had nothing in common and he could go back to being alone. "Alright," he said, forcing another smile, like he was about to force for the crowd waiting for them outside and all of his friends.

When her hand touched his, however, he had to hold back a flinch and wonder why.


	7. Chapter 7: Fireflies

Evenings:

Fireflies

Summary: "In Shimane, he could admit to and allow himself to be happy; just in those times because nothing else mattered."

A/N: So the new can badge release made me want to write about Kinu. Woo.

Warnings/Pairings: Yamakeru, if you squint, possible implied abuse, tons of fluff between Yamato, Takeru, and Kinu~

* * *

_ Let's see... it's been eight months and two days since Vamdemon. Since I saw her. I don't even know where it came from, telling her that we were saving the world for her. I was sure I made it clear I didn't give a damn about any of that to everyone else... I just wanted Takeru safe. So, I guess I said those things because Takeru __wanted__ to say them and couldn't.__ I wanted him away from her. Then, we return home and I hand him over again and again... _

_**"I don't need you to protect me."**_

_ But you're still a child. I'm still and always will be your big brother, so that will never change. _Yamato glanced over to Takeru. He had long ditched that green hat and it was nice to see the bushy golden locks of hair tossing in the wind again. Takeru was smiling as he stuck his head out the window of the train. The city was slowly disappearing into farmland and backroads.

Yamato liked the country. They always visited grandma Kinu for the Summer and the fresh air brought back so many good memories that the older sibling felt slip and fade the other ten months of the year, only to come welling back up at that sign reading _Shimane_. He could admit to himself and allow himself to be happy just in those times because nothing else mattered.

He didn't have to deal with his father's absence, his mother's neglect, or Takeru in general. As much as Yamato loved spending time with his younger brother, he loved spending time with Kinu more and the two often fought for her attention. That was a good memory, too. It was so rare the two got to even interact like brothers.

_So, does that make the Digital World good memories? I guess so._

"Oniichan."

"Hmm?" Yamato questioned sleepily, having been lost in his thoughts.

"The train stopped."

"Oh, we're here already..." the older boy mused. "Let's go, Takeru." Yamato stood and smiled, letting Takeru into the aisle. "_Race you_."

The two boys dashed through the boxcar, annoying a small chunk of folk that had merely gone into town for some shopping and shoved one another through the door and equally annoying the attendant. Yamato sighed- Takeru was smaller. That wasn't fair. He watched his younger sibling scamper away down the platform.

_Eh, wait!_ He thought. _Don't... run so fast. Watch your step._ He bit his lip, trying not to be a pain. Those words from those damned woods would ring in his ears forever. He strolled forward, finally joining Takeru near the station door where he was catching tiny breaths. Yamato scooped the boy onto his shoulders and glanced up, "See Grandma anywhere?"

"Maybe she forgot like last time."

"She does tend to get a little senile nowadays, huh?"

"Oh! Oh, there she is, Oniichan!" Takeru cried, pointing desperately. Yamato struggled to see across the station as the train had let out and Grandma Ishida was short. Takeru started waving, throwing Yamato's balance.

"Hey, cut it out. I see her," Yamato urged. As he dashed across the lobby, he realized Takeru was weighing on his shoulders. The boy had grown at least an entire inch over the last few months. _Soon... we won't be able to do this anymore._

"Yamato~ Takeru~" Kinu called with a meek wave. The two boys approached her and Yamato let Takeru down from his shoulders. Takeru nearly knocked the old woman over as he hugged her. Yamato set his hands in his pockets and smiled weakly.

"Hey, Grandma," he said.

"You boys seem different. You must be growing up," she noted, squinting at them as the sunset started to give it's final glow. "Come now, you must be hungry. Especially you, Yamato. That son of mine just let's you starve, doesn't he?"

Yamato tried not to blush but he rarely heard good of his father and it made him proud to be the man's son for a change. Not that he wasn't normally proud of that fact- despite his father's continued absences, Yamato respected his father. Everything he did was only for his son's well-being. Even the joke Kinu had made, Yamato knew, was just that.

The boys followed their grandmother outside the station. It was a mile walk to her house, but no one drove out here unless weather permitted. Yamato enjoyed this, too. He was never one to love running, but he did enjoy walking and seeing all those faces again. There was the farmer right down the road from Kinu and he always made sure to bring the boys hand-made trinkets from his leather shop. Yamato made sure to flash the wallet from last Summer- still holding strong.

The house itself wasn't anything fancy, but it may as well be a mansion to Yamato. Two stories with a wine cellar made up the building, surrounded by a backyard with a huge willow tree and a koi pond. The house was also very traditional- screen doors and the like. As they walked up the stairs to the wrap-around porch, Yamato held back more instinctive worry as Takeru made his usual round of the house. Kinu opened the door and Yamato waited there for Takeru to join him before they headed inside.

The familiar scent of the old wood the house was made of filled Yamato's nose. He eyed the chess table and eagerness grew in him to kick Takeru's ass again. Sadly, he wondered if the boy would throw a fit for losing. Probably not anymore...

"I made ohagi snacks," Kinu said, scuddling off to the kitchen. Takeru clapped and followed, but Yamato felt a sickness in his stomach.

"Blek," he muttered.

"Oniichan has no taste buds!" Takeru called from the kitchen.

"Whatever," Yamato returned.

"Don't mind your brother, Takeru," Kinu nodded, handing Takeru two ohagi. "_More for you_."

Yamato chuckled and rolled his eyes, heading into the living room to watch television. After flipping through the three channels his grandmother could get, he settled on news. He flopped back onto his palms and listened to his family in the other room.

"Let's see... what have I planned for my grandsons?" Kinu was musing, glancing to each of the kids. "Yamato, don't go watching those high speed chases like your Grandma Kinu~!" she called.

Takeru watched her walk over to the hall. He stuffed his face as he heard her dig around in the closet. When she returned she was carrying a small, white, bucket-hat. Takeru watched her curiously until his eyes were forced closed as she plunked it on his head. "Grandma~"

"What happened to your old hat?" Kinu insisted.

"It got too small," Takeru admitted.

"I won't see your head be cold."

"It's Summer, Grandma Kinu..." Takeru reminded, straightening out the hat so it fit more comfortably.

"Oh, I forgot... Yamato!"

The blonde jumped at the sudden calling for him and he hurried to the kitchen. "Yeah?"

"It's getting dark out, so why don't you go fetch the bottles from the shed?"

Yamato's eyes lit up. He wasn't sure how he could have forgotten.

Takeru was equally as overjoyed, sending ohagi across the table. "Fireflies!"

Yamato nodded, raising an eyebrow at Takeru. "_Nice hat_." He placed a hand on Takeru's head, swishing the hat around as he headed towards the back. He walked down the long hall and through a mud room and to the backyard.

The sun had set quickly and the heat of the day was gone, replaced with a stagnant, mild air. The grass was holding dew and it was seeping through his slippers and socks as he walked. He tried to stick to the stone pathway, but the lawn had overgrown a bit. Yamato figured Kinu had forgotten to call her gardner again. He could already see the fireflies fluttering in the distance across the fields. Beyond that, though, lied the fabled Mirror Pond, and he treated it like the plague, erasing it immediately from his mind as he entered the shed and found the old mason jars to catch the little bugs in.

Yamato found a reason to smile, remembering Takeru's initial fear of the bugs. It had been such an absurd thing at the time- the poor boy was only four, then, and was pretty much scared of everything. Yamato cringed a little as he recalled teasing Takeru- but then, he had too many reasons to be angry at the time.

He growled, taking the jars with him and back to the kitchen. "Here we are."

"Alright, Oniichan!" Takeru cheered. "Grandma already has the lids done."

Yamato handed her the jars and she applied the lids and handed them back with a smile. She ushered the boys to the backyard again. Soon the air was filled with Takeru's laughter as he ran across the yard catching bugs.

Kinu raised an eyebrow, glancing to her eldest grandson. "What's troubling you, Yamato-kun?"

Yamato sat in the chair next to Kinu, crossing one leg over the other. "How do you always know?"

"...your just like your father," she cackled. "Also, I've never seen you pass up catching fireflies. If Takeru wasn't so enthralled, he would be calling for you."

"Ah, I doubt that. He wants nothing to do with me. Just as well, I guess," Yamato tried to laugh away his statements, but he couldn't get anything past Kinu.

Suddenly, Kinu's eyes narrowed, "...is this something your mother told you?"

"Ah, no..." Yamato said. Then he blushed, "You know I would rather die than speak to her."

"That makes two of us," she replied. "So, Takeru is getting too old for his brother. He still loves you, though. He always will."

"...I know."

"Your father said you had some great adventure," Kinu smiled. "I think he may be getting a little senile, talking of monsters and all that."

Yamato snorted.

"Oniichan! I'm going to definetly beat you this year if you don't come on!" Takeru grinned, already on his 5th bug.

"See? He's calling for you. Listen to your Grandma Kinu for once. Go spend time with him while you can."

Yamato blushed and turned away. He couldn't admit to Kinu that he was afraid, as afraid as he had been in the Digital World, of what he may do to Takeru. "I think we've had enough time together. This is how things were meant to be."

Kinu frowned, "...just like your father."

"...w-what?" Yamato chuckled. "Grandma, are you just saying that to cheer me up?"

"No, in fact, your father was the same way about his divorce. Before he finally _fessed the reason_, I encouraged him to reconcile, but he said that was the way things were meant to be. I think even if your mother wasn't the spawn of the devil, he would have said that." Kinu waited, studying Yamato for a moment. Unlike his father, who couldn't look at Natsuko again, Yamato was watching Takeru with a longing smile. When he turned he caught her staring and blushed profusely.

"_Alright, I'm going_," Yamato chuckled. He stood and went across the yard, carrying his own jar. Like the visit itself, he found himself forgetting his troubles and realized as he glanced back at a snoring Kinu that it hadn't been this place that made him feel better about himself, but that blessed woman. She had been the only one he felt understood his resentment and outright hate for his own flesh and blood and as he missed catching a firefly, he paused to wonder why. Takeru then crashed into him and he stumbled forward. Takeru's glass fell from his hands and shattered, sending a parade of the little light bugs into the sky.

Yamato had expected Takeru to cry, but instead the boy just watched with awe. At least, Takeru reached over and held his hand, squeezing.

"You can have my jar, Takeru."

"...really?" he pondered, watching the bugs fly away.

"Sure."


	8. Chapter 8: Watching Over

Evenings Part 8: Watching Over

A/N: One-sided Sorato

* * *

"...Sora."

The redhead stirred beside him, but barely, grumbling in her near-slumber. "What, Yamato?" She hated when he did this- asking questions in the middle of the night when she had shopping to do on top of keeping an eye on him. Sometimes, she contemplated just breaking the entire thing off, but then where- or what –would she be without him? According to her mother: nothing.

"Do you ever wonder what the others are up to?"

"Others?"

"...the other Chosen. I mean, we barely talk to our friends anymore, Sora. Isn't there something wrong with that?"

"Yamato, we have a family now. We can't be distracted and setting bad examples for the children."

In the dark the blonde twisted his lips. He had annoyed her, otherwise she wouldn't have brought up that truly brief period of self loathing he had gone through to pull his guilt strings. "We didn't even invite them to the wedding..."

"They have their own lives, too," Sora continued, "Otherwise, they would reach out to us. It's a two way street."

Yamato held his tongue. She was probably right about that. Taichi and Koushiro were raising their kids. Takeru and Hikari were, too. Mimi was constantly busy with her career. Yamato wasn't even sure what Jyou was up to, except that he had a very busy life as a brain surgeon. The thought made him smile- Jyou was making quite the name for himself now...

Still, days being filled with what little he could do with Hanako without Sora flipping out on him for no reason or working at the shop were dull and downright lonely. He had wanted to make Sora happy from the beginning and he tried to kiss her, give her a gentle touch, but she always pulled away. Just as well; his heart wasn't in it. He figured after their first Christmas and their resulting break up he was this scary, sick thing to her and if he hadn't knocked her up somehow, this entire marriage would've been avoided.

"Sora..." he whispered. She was sound asleep, anyway. He just wanted to hear his own voice say her name to make sure he wasn't dreaming as he looked down at himself. He tilted his head back against the headboard and sighed. He then reached into the nearby drawer for his cigarettes and got out of bed, grabbing his robe which was full of holes but at least covered his bare skin, and headed towards the living room and the balcony beyond it. In the hall, though, he stopped to peek into the kids' room and check on them.

The first time Tsukuyomi had a nightmare he just about had a heart attack. He recalled it now vividly and his own nightmares threatened to take over. With a pain in his voice he pulled away from the door and started down the hall.

"What are you doing?"

Yamato turned back. Sora was there in her nightgown, holding herself close with sleepy eyes. She blinked wearily at him, waiting for a response.

"I was getting a cigarette. I didn't want to wake you."

"Well, you did," she sighed. "Why were you checking in on them?"

"...I was worried."

"...why?" she wondered.

"I'm their father. It's my job to worry if they're alright."

"They've got us right down the hall. The doors are locked, the security my mother generously pays for is armed. Unless there's something else..."

Yamato growled to himself, "I didn't sleep well at that age. If they have a problem, I want to help them through it because I never had anyone."

"You _still_ don't sleep well," Sora chuckled with disdain. "Just come back to bed already."

"I think I'll sleep out here."

"And why is that? I always wake up in the middle of the night and you're gone. Why is that?"

"Sora, if you want to accuse me of something, do it. Otherwise go back to sleep."

"...alright then," she sighed, throwing down her arms. She headed back to the room and went back to sleep.

Yamato couldn't understand why she despised him so. She had no reason to, therefore no reason came to his mind as he headed out to the balcony and smoked. He thought that maybe she suspected he was cheating- after all, she continued to bring up his childhood and his many mistakes he was trying so hard to redeem himself for.

She probably thought he did those things for pleasure. God, that was so far gone from the truth he didn't want to know what anyone would think if they knew he just outright hated himself, his family, his life... and yet everyday he lived contradictory to all of it. He said he was doing fine, he was handling things. He did love his family, but he wasn't able to show it and therefore slowly was beginning to see himself pull away into a life of work, home, sleep, like his own father.

He finished the cigarette and headed back inside, finding the indent of the couch he had long-since made and tried desperately to get a good night's sleep so he could wake and once again try to figure out where his life was going.


	9. Chapter 9: Break

Evenings: Part 9

Break

Summary: Jyou is on his way home when he runs into Yamato, who is determined to set Jyou's Dad straight...

A/N: Implied YamatoxJyou, implied KoushiroxTaichi, references to alcohol

* * *

Jyou was running home through the rain. He couldn't be late. Not on his first day of his senior year, he couldn't. Surely his father would think he was slacking off. He tried to adjust his glasses, but this only smudged the water droplets. He let out a frustrated sigh as he rushed down the subway steps and was surprised he didn't trip.

"Made it," he breathed, checking his watch. He obtained his ticket and anxiously awaited the next train, distracting himself by cleaning his glasses. When he put them back on again, he could finally see that the ghosts around him were people, not all patrons, mostly those seeking shelter from the rain.

"So, the fucking bitch tells me to get lost. I stole her cigarettes. Jokes on her."

A nervous laugh followed.

Jyou looked around for the familiar voice. He caught sight of the blonde at the back of the tunnel, next to a familiar redhead. Koushiro was wearing a bright yellow raincoat over his dress shirt and pants. He had probably just come from school. Yamato, on the other hand, was twirling in his long, grey trench, giving the illusion he was happy. Jyou had to smile a little. With school and his internship, he had rarely seen anyone.

"Koushiro! Yamato!" Jyou called as he made his way through the crowd.

"Ah, Jyou-san!" Koushiro waved.

Yamato stopped twirling, his cheeks burning, and gave Jyou a simple toss of his head.

"You two getting out of the rain?"

"On our way back from a movie, actually..." Koushiro shrugged. "I don't see the merits of people getting buried in a garden by their murderer."

"The man was _insane_, Koushiro. That's all that mattered," Yamato complained as if he had to have said it thirty times now. Jyou eyed the blonde's heavy eyes and his hands firmly planted in his pockets.

"I was lucky, just barely got here in time for the train," Jyou smiled. "Now, I get to see you two. How have you been, outside another bad slasher film?"

"Well, I wanted to spend the day with Taichi, but he said he doesn't have time. Ever since he got that scholarship, I haven't really spent time with him... I'm proud, though. I know he has to do this," Koushiro explained his feelings sequentially.

Yamato didn't speak.

"I'm almost done with high school now," Jyou replied. "But my internship feels like having a full-time job."

"He's making you intern this early?" Yamato snapped.

Jyou gave a weak smile at the blonde's concern. "I can handle it. I enjoy it because I get to work hands on. It's easier than listening to lectures for eleven hours a day."

"Ah, my train is due. I need to excuse myself," Koushiro said, giving a bow. "Later, Yamato. Good seeing you, Jyou."

Yamato raised a hand half-assedly, more of a good-riddance than a good-bye. Jyou gave a simple wave and turned to his friend. The blue-haired young man wasn't completely out of the loop. He knew of Yamato's problems from the last few months... he just didn't think things were this bad. Yamato was just entering high school, wasn't he? He should be focusing on his studies...

"Are you sleeping? Eating? You look pale."

Yamato smiled. He had expected as much. "I'm fine, Jyou. Really."

"Are you going home to an empty house again?" Jyou sighed.

"Are you going home to an abusive dick again?" the blonde snapped.

Jyou crossed his arms best he could with the book bags slung over one shoulder. "You were hanging out with Koushiro. That's good."

"He had nothing better to do. I had nothing better to do."

Jyou wasn't going to point out that he figured Yamato just didn't want to be alone. The blonde had openly admitted before he didn't trust himself and that worried Jyou. "I didn't walk over here to lecture you, I promise. Let's just talk."

"About what?" Yamato laughed. "I know your game, Jyou. I'm sorry I didn't return your call."

Jyou had to genuinely concentrate on when that was. "The one from two months ago? Yamato, I don't even remember why I had to call you."

"I can take a guess," the blonde snapped, pulling out a cigarette.

"Why are you bombarding my father right now? Did yours piss you off?"

"What the Hell do you care?"

"Oh, what did he do? _Care?_"

"I thought you didn't come here to fight," Yamato started, inhaling smoke.

"I didn't come here to _lecture_ you. If I have to fight with you to talk some sense into you, then I will. Trust me, I've seen Taichi make it work."

Yamato cringed the brunette's name. _I'm an idiot._ He had spent a few months with the boy, thinking foolishly something could come of it, when Taichi and Koushiro were the ones making their relationship work. Another fucking disappointment, another mistake. "Let's not talk about him, 'kay?"

Jyou didn't know why he had pressed a nerve and took a moment to straighten his coat as he thought of what he wanted to say. "I know... things aren't going well. You know, I'm worried, is all?"

"...yeah, I know. That's your job description," Yamato sighed, half his cigarette gone now. "Jyou, I don't mean to snap. You know me."

"If I couldn't take that temper of yours, what kind of friend would I be?"

Yamato gave a 'fuck you' smile. "Honestly, I'm just worried about you, too. Your father pushing you too hard and all. Don't think I can't see that purple skin near your wrist or the strain in your eyes." Jyou cursed in his mind. _He noticed. He's good at noticing. _"Like you said, my apartment's free. You can come by, you know?"

"I can't tonight. If I'm not back, Dad will..." Jyou cringed at the thought of how he had to repair his last fracture by himself. "Anyway, maybe tomorrow, then?"

"Sure," Yamato breathed, "That's your train pulling in."

"Aren't you headed the same way?" Jyou questioned.

The blonde smiled and gave a quick dip signaling he was out. He started back up the stairs and Jyou hesitated for a moment. He could go home and be safe and sound, bleeding internally about whatever the Hell Yamato was up to, or he could follow his friend and take the physical pain later. Well, he was much better with physical pain that his own throws of despair and rushed after his forgotten crush.

"Yamato?" Jyou called into the rain. He saw the blonde walking down the street and rushed after him, nearly slipping in the water of the streets. "Bastard doesn't have an umbrella. He's going to get a cold."

Yamato trudged forward, letting the cool water hit his skin like needles. He could hear Jyou splashing like a dancing walrus somewhere behind him and the blonde broke into a full run at this point. He just wanted to be alone. He wanted Jyou to see he was suffering and come running to the rescue. No one else was going to.

Finally, that firm hand grasped Yamato's elbow and after a moment of the two catching their breath, the blonde cut off his friend, "Sorry I made you run out here and miss the train. You could have gone home."

"You... You don't want me to, though," Jyou huffed. "Where are you going? You live across town."

"There's a party over here. Thought I would hop by."

"You _hate_ gatherings," Jyou hissed, twirling the blonde around. "How's your liver lately?"

Yamato scoffed, chuckled, anything to laugh away that he had been cornered. "Jyou, go home."

"What happened between you and Sora?" Jyou pressed finally. "I thought you two were happy together. Yamato, you were with her an entire year... that had to have meant something."

The blonde grit his teeth, _It meant fucking nothing. I haven't moved forward at all, as usual, it seems..._ "Look, she started it and she broke it off. It's fucking over and I'm fucking glad."

"...Yamato," Jyou whispered. He noticed they were still standing in the rain and the two ducked under an awning of a cafe to talk. "Did you tell her-" "No, I fucking didn't tell her!" Yamato remarked, shoving Jyou back. He stumbled a little but managed to fall forward out of the rain again. "Why the Hell would I tell her?"

"Isn't that important?" Jyou whispered.

"Fuck," Yamato breathed. _I didn't expect it to go anywhere, Jyou! The whole thing was a God damn train wreck. I was being nice. I didn't want to turn her away. I didn't want to limit myself to you... after all, you're not interested in me, right? Otherwise, you would have come up to me that summer, you would have spilled your soul to me like that night... _

Jyou tried not to laugh. To him, the curse sounded like some sort of realization. Jyou just wanted his friend to be happy, no matter who he was with. "Let's head back, okay? I'll be late, but you can still make it home before your Dad worries."

"...yeah," the blonde sighed, admitting defeat.

The two headed back to the subway in silence and remained in silence. What the Hell could they say to one another? Their feelings weren't mutual, their time was sparing, their lives headed in two completely opposite directions.

Jyou's apartment was closest and Yamato should have split off and gone straight home, hoping for a bottle to drown in still somewhere around the apartment, but instead he followed Jyou. He owed the boy, after all. Yamato hadn't even considered doing something so stupid as getting wasted across town until recently. He just wanted to throw himself into oblivion and he could see now, in the comfort of Jyou's company, that was stupid.

Jyou wasn't sure why Yamato had followed him and tried to hide his embarassment as they reached for their rail of the stairs in unison. It had been too long since they felt the comfort of one another's warmth and Jyou pushed back memories. "You're going first?"

"...I'm escorting you, jerk," Yamato joked, brushing past his friend and leading them up the stairs. Jyou followed, cursing the unflattery of that hideous trenchcoat. Yamato felt his anger boiling as he reached the top of the stairs. He wasn't going to let his friend return home late and be punished of his own accord.

Jyou shifted his belongings as he looked for his keys. Instead, he was surprised to hear Yamato giving a few, solid hard knocks. "Yamato, what are you doing?"

"I'm _knocking_?" Yamato breathed, shoving his cold hands back in his pockets.

"I can let myself in without interrupting my father's work," Jyou explained quickly, praying his father didn't hear the knock. Then he noticed the blonde's expression. "You didn't follow me all this way to pick a fight. Come on."

Yamato didn't answer and waited as the door opened. He and Sho hadn't seen each other but once before and Sho was unconscious on the convention center floor. If Yamato had known the full extent of the man's damage, he probably would have strangled the fucker there or personally escorted him to Myotismon as a peace offering before things got this far. "Hello, sir," the blonde breathed, blinking away rain droplets from his heavy lashes. His expression was like squinting towards the sun.

Jyou's father glanced to him and Jyou wasn't sure what to say or do. He looked away.

"You're late," the man said. "Come on, get inside."

"Wait," Yamato demanded. Sho didn't like this and glared at the brat in front of him.

"Do you have some business with me?" Sho questioned.

"Yeah, I do," Yamato breathed.

Jyou looked around frantically for a hole to crawl into. _Damn it, Yamato, if you wanted to kill yourself I'd rather you drink yourself to death than leave me behind with my father the angriest I've ever seen him! What are you thinking?_

"Go on."

"Can I ask you why you insist on beating your son when he's done nothing but bend over backwards for you? Or is he just bending over for you, too?" the blonde remarked.

Jyou grabbed Yamato by the shoulders, "Stop."

"What did you say to me?"

"You heard me loud and clear," Yamato hissed.

"Dad, he's a little drunk."

"I wish I was," Yamato smiled. "Maybe I would have decked this fucker by now."

Sho shoved his son aside and grabbed Yamato by the collar. "Look here you punk, I don't want to see you around here again."

"What? Too afraid to hit your son's friends?" the blonde taunted.

Jyou ran a hand over his face and then quickly tried to break them apart. Yamato was being as careless as Taichi the way he taunted the grown man in front of him like some wild Digimon. "Dad, let's just go inside."

Yamato grabbed Sho by the neck, forcing the grown man to drop him and then Yamato tackled him. Jyou fretted and finally found his bearings, pulling at Yamato who was now punching Sho over and over. Jyou could see blood and as his father returned blows, Jyou wasn't sure who was bleeding more.

"Stop," he insisted. "Stop! I don't need you to do this!"

Yamato reeled back a second and Sho managed to hit the blonde in the gut, forcing him to fall backwards at Jyou's feet. Jyou sighed at his friend's bloody face and sore insides. "Yamato... there are easier ways to make an idiot of yourself. To punish yourself. Come on, give me your hand and I'll take you home."

"N-No," the blonde hissed through blood and pain. "You're a pathetic excuse for a human being!" he barked towards Jyou's father. "For someone who has had a personal punching bag, I expect more than what a schoolyard bully can do!"

Jyou had enough and grabbed Yamato by both arms and began dragging him outside and down the balcony towards the stairs. He gave his father several apologetic looks. "Look, I can't walk you home or Dad would kill me, but GO HOME. You're making things worse."

Yamato wiped his nose and sat up, looking down at his feet.

"Don't let me see that gaijin back here again," Sho demanded, slamming the door.

Jyou sighed and fought back tears. "Why did you have to do that, Yamato? Why? You're not stupid. You _knew_ it would just anger him. You _knew_ you couldn't win."

_I just wanted to feel again. I just wanted to take out this anger on someone. I just wanted to protect you. There's too many reasons to name, but... punishing myself is the best excuse yet and you thought of it so easily. Jyou... I'm sorry._ "I..." Yamato felt tears in his eyes. "I think I should go home."

"Yeah, me too."

"For what it's worth, he had it coming."

"Yeah."

"I'll go," Yamato sighed, finally managing to get to his feet. His head was spinning and it took him a moment to gain his balance. Jyou worried about a concussion, but Yamato insisted he hadn't been hit in the head _that much_. He started down the stairs slowly and Jyou ached to go with him, but he wasn't going to make the same mistake of following a lost dream twice in one night.

Jyou had known better, too, but he just wanted to grasp onto that old feeling again. That feeling that there was something more. There was nothing left in either of them now. Change was on them like a high wind and there was no going back to simple, blissful summers.

Yamato had managed to hide his limp well enough, even as he hopped down the stairs. At the bottom he watched Jyou go back inside and his heart sank into his sore stomach. "I hope he doesn't kill him..." Yamato smiled, then snickered, "Nah, he wouldn't kill his punching bag." The blonde tucked bloody knuckles into his pockets. "Still, I'll never make this up to Jyou... guess I've officially killed any chance of us getting together now."


	10. Chapter 10: Photograph

Evenings: Part 10

Photograph

Summary: Yamato and Kazuki find they have more in common each day.

A/N: Takes place after their kids' adventure in the Digital World.

* * *

"I'm a little rusty, but shouldn't be too difficult," Yamato started, looking at the cord extending across the room. The amp was a little moth eaten, but whatever. Kazuki was awkwardly holding the bass and Yamato walked over to adjust the strap. "Don't hurt your back. There."

"Thanks Uncle Yamato," Kazuki replied, blushing with embarassment. Then his eyes drifted across the living room to a long, slender table near the couch that had several pictures sitting on it. Kazuki didn't have anything like that in his home. Each one was wrapped in a black criss-cross cloth. "What's with those pictures?"

Yamato followed his nephew's gaze. "Oh. Those are friends that have passed away. _Mostly_."

"Is that grandma?" he questioned, setting down the guitar. Yamato sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, and how would you know?"

"I met her a few times," Kazuki replied, walking over and picking up the photograph. "She didn't look like this though."

"...oh, in the hospital," Yamato breathed, sitting down on the bed. He really wished he hadn't started giving up smoking.

"N-no, she was at her house. It was before she died."

"Yeah, so what's your point kid?"

"She was really weird."

"...that's an understatement."

"She kept putting her hand on my shoulder or ruffling my hair. I gotta keep my hair pretty for Russell right?"

Yamato tried not to think about Russell sometimes. He wasn't a bad kid, but Digi-Jesus he couldn't shake his fear in the prescence of his Digimon, even if they _weren't_ the same ones. "Uh yeah... wait." His mind drifted to what Kazuki had said. "Wait."

"What's the matter?" Kazuki insisted. Yamato rushed over to the boy and brushed back his bangs and Kazuki felt equally as uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" Kazuki asked again, wondering if his Uncle might cry. He had only seen him cry once before when he had been reunited with his own children.

"She didn't do anything else to you, did she?" Yamato whispered, pulling the boy close to him. Kazuki had the breath knocked out of him and his cheek brushed the scar against his uncle's chest.

"N-no, I just thought she-"

"I may have to kill your father you know," Yamato growled.

"Please don't," Kazuki said, finally let loose from the embrace. "It was nothing, really. What's the big deal?"

"N-nothing, Kaz," Yamato sighed. "Come on, let's get back to practice."

"Um, okay," Kazuki replied, setting the photo back down. For the remainder of the afternoon they pissed off all of Jyou's neighbors and practiced in the living room, but Yamato seemed distant. Kazuki could pick up that the blonde was at least trying to appear happy- he had seen it enough with his own mother. Still, he intended to question his father once he got home on the matter.


	11. Chapter 11: Immune

Evenings

11

[Immune]

Summary: Yamato takes Tsukuyomi to the hospital for immunizations.

Warnings: None

Pairings: Takari, Sorato

* * *

Yamato sighed, looking over at his now one year old son. He had a tuft of red hair growing in and his auburn eyes would one day be a reflection of his mother's. The child was going on about something or other as the father climbed from his car and rounded to the other side. He opened the door and unbuckled Tsukuyomi, lifting the toddler into his arms. "Who wants to see the doctor?" The baby made a face at him and Yamato mirrored the expression. "Well, we're going anyway."

Yamato started from the parking lot towards the hospital, along the way noting a somewhat familiar vehicle. He couldn't place it. He knew Jyou was working here, but probably not at these hours, so he dismissed that little glimmer of happiness for a moment as he took Tsukuyomi inside and confirmed their meeting for his immunizations.

While waiting, Tsuku stumbled nearby, calling, "Dad!"

"I see you, Tsuk," Yamato replied with a smile as his son tried to walk again.

"Ishida, Yamato?" called a voice from the closed door beyond the reception desk. Yamato gathered his son and the tote bag and headed into the office.

"Ah, Sora usually does these things. I'm afraid I don't remember your name..." Yamato admitted, sitting down. He held his son in his lap, enjoying what little time he could spend with his own child without being berrated, like at home.

The doctor gave a smile and replied, "Itsuwari, Tomaru."

"Well, this is Tsukuyomi."

"Tsuku!" cried the toddler in his father's arms. "I Tsuku!"

"That you are," the pediatrician replied. Yamato studied him as he handed Tsukuyomi over to go through the basic check up. Tomaru had dark hair that wafted to one side and curled around the other edge of his face. He had a somewhat round chin, giving him a baby-like face, which Yamato found fairly fitting. The most striking thing was Tomaru's blue eyes- unusual, yet for Yamato, found this as a somewhat comfort as his blonde hair and blue eyes had turned people away most of his life. "Tsukuyomi looks just right. You two must be wonderful parents."

Yamato blushed a little, taking back the child. "W-We do our best."

"Well, I'll be back in a moment with the you-know-whats."

Yamato grinned. _He knows not to say 'shots' in front of the kids, I see._

Tomaru left and returned a few moments later, carrying two seperate shots. As he readied everything with the alcohol on Tsuku's skin, the two talked.

"You know, you remind me of a friend of mine..." Yamato started. "Kido, Jyou."

Tomaru's pupils widened suddenly as he turned back to get the first needle. "...oh?"

"He works here," Yamato replied.

"...I don't believe I've met him," Tomaru responded, turning back.

"Yeah, well, he just got his certification after like, a million years of schooling. He's a specialist."

"...I see."

Tomaru stuck the needle in rather suddenly. Tsukuyomi cried out, but this was expected. Still, Yamato felt a weight in his chest as the child began to reach for him and tears streamed down his face. "Dad! It hurts!"

"I know. Just one more, okay?" Yamato replied uncomfortably. He turned away this time. He wasn't good with this kind of thing and the crying took the breath out of him.

Tomaru sneered at Yamato, grabbing the second needle as the infant struggled slightly. He was used to this at least. Instead, a smile formed on his face, "So, how do you know each other? You and Kido. I mean, he must get you special treatment here."

"N-Not at all," Yamato breathed, "Can we just get this over with, please?"

"Certainly. I won't waste your precious time." Tomaru made sure Yamato was still looking the other way as the needle went in and he held it there for a time as the child tried to tug it out. He quickly pulled it from the baby's skin as the father turned back, the child's crying absolutely unbearable.

"Are you sure he's alright?" Yamato insisted.

"Yes, they all cry like this," Tomaru replied, flashing that same welcoming smile as earlier.

"...I have to admit," the blonde started as his child was handed back to him now with little Ninja Turtle Band-Aids. "He's crying more than I expected."

"Yes, well, maybe your child is just not well behaved as others," Tomaru hissed, gathering his supplies. He was starting for the door when he heard Yamato huff to himself. Tomaru grinned.

"Come on, Tsuku."

"Da—Dad! Hurt me!" Tsukuyomi bawled into his father's chest, clinging to his blue dress shirt.

"It's just a shot, Tsukuyomi. They keep you healthy."

"Hurts!" Tsukuyomi insisted, screaming.

Yamato felt his face burn red as he juggled the child and the tote bag in his arms and headed out. The other parents gave him near-pitiful looks that made him feel a mix of further embarassment and mutual understanding.

Yamato patted Tsukuyomi on the back gently, lulling him with his voice. It felt odd. He rarely got to comfort his children at home in any way- he supposed Sora felt that was a mother's job. Also, he hadn't sang anything in years now and he could hear the own graveliness of his voice from the smoke he had taken in over the years.

When he reached the end of the hall, at the elevator, a voice called out to him from behind. Tsukuyomi was still sniffling and snotting all over Yamato, but that was as settled down as he could expect from the kid.

"Yamato," Hikari greeted with a smile, but Yamato couldn't do the same. He glanced beyond her to Takeru. Yamato's eyes noted his younger brother's hand, toying with the rosary in his pocket. He didn't see Kazuki with them, so the visit initially seemed unusual.

"Hello," he said, still trying to settle down Tsukuyomi.

"Shots?" Hikari chuckled. "It's okay, little guy. It's over now." Hikari reached out to the boy and he batted at her, but this only made her chuckle more. She had been through similar things with her own offspring.

Takeru continued to say nothing, merely observing the wriggling child, until he turned to Hikari, "Go ahead and wait in the car. I'll be with you in a minute."

Hikari looked at him, unsure, "Takeru, let's both get going."

"No, I should tell him."

Yamato recognized that tone from how he spoke of others he disliked himself and sighed, "Tell me what?"

Takeru's head snapped over to Yamato. "Mom's upstairs."

Yamato wrinkled his nose. "Oh."

The next-to-nothing comment angered Takeru quickly and Hikari urged the two to seperate before they had better reasons to be in such a place. Takeru ignored her, "She's not doing well. _I wonder why._"

Yamato just laughed off his brother's comment. "We can talk about this another time. I don't fight in front of my children."

"...I find that hard to believe. You fight with almost everyone else. Broken any arms lately?"

"That wasn't me-!" Yamato hissed.

"May as well have been," Takeru grinned, bringing up things that hadn't been relevant for _years_ now.

"Takeru, if you want to pick fights we can do this later."

"Mom was asking for you."

"Don't try to provoke me," Yamato breathed in disbelief, looking first at Takeru and then pleadingly to Hikari.

She reached both hands over to Takeru, urging him to make a stop in the hospital chapel before leaving. That would shut him up. Takeru agreed, but he had to open his mouth again, "I mean it you know. Mom really wants _you_." Takeru held a certain disdain in his voice as he started back.

Yamato couldn't control his own mouth, per usual, "Did she how? Because that really makes all the difference!"

Takeru turned and Hikari forced him to turn back towards the chapel, but Takeru shoved her away. "I don't understand how she holds such high respect for you. She's heard the lies you spread about her! I just... I don't understand it! You don't deserve half the love she gives to you!"

"Goodbye, Takeru," Yamato breathed, hoping he wasn't squeezing Tsukuyomi too tight. He still had to pay and leave and hurried to the reception desk in hopes not to cause a further scene.


	12. Chapter 12: Descent

Evenings

Part 12

[Descent]

A/N: This serves to fill in some gaps regarding Yamato's and Sora's behavior and sets up part of Daisuke's headcanon (the party that Michiru is referring to) Also, my OC Reichi has a minor part later on.

Warnings: There is yaoi in this chapter. Don't like it, don't read it.

* * *

_Can't see the stars tonight, again. It's like Vamdemon is back. _However, if that had been the case, then the kids wouldn't be cut off from the Digital World forever. At least there would be hope. _I'd ponder more but I can't hear myself think! _The blonde glowered at the balcony below him. His near-suicidal downstairs neighbor was laughing it up with some woman. Yamato lit a cigarette and let the ash fall down. _Maybe I shouldn't... knowing my luck they'll complain to the landlord and get Dad in trouble, thinking it was him, when it was really me and then Dad would know..._ Yamato sighed as his mind churned with bad outcomes over the littlest things lately. The laughter finally got too much for him and the thoughts subsided, replaced with the inklings of the anger he had been letting build up for the past two weeks.

He knew he should be happy another human being had some fleeting moment of hapiness, but he couldn't shake the thought of kicking in his door and shooting up the place.

Yamato glanced at the clock. _Dad won't be home for ten minutes... twenty with this fog._

Yamato couldn't keep stealing his father's cigarettes much longer and his mind drifted to school where he would have to bum some off his "friends". Even he knew he only stayed around them to show off and use them; the relationship was a two-way street. Hell, he was the same in everyone's eyes: just someone to be used. Jyou, Sora, Takeru, even his own mother. Everyone. All the same.

"Ishida~" cooed a voice from the couch.

Yamato glanced behind him, "Coming."

"Haven't you done enough of that?"

Yamato groaned from the depths of his raspy throat, "Shouldn't you be getting home? My Dad will see you if you don't leave soon."

"Oh, should I go wait in your bed, then?"

Yamato finished the cigarette and stepped back into the room. It was dark, with only the streetlight shining in. He could see the silhoutte of the slender body on the couch and the reflection of hazelnut eyes.

Yamato walked over to the edge of the couch and glanced down at Reichi, the young man tangled up in the jeans that had been wrangled off earlier. He was propped up with one arm, lost in bleached, choppy hair. He reached out and pulled Yamato closer, undoing his zipper. Earlier, Reichi had struggled, but now he proceeded with ease, already placing his soft lips against the warming skin underneath.

Reichi chuckled as his lover grew stiffer with each kiss, nip, and taste. "You used to be so health conscious because of your voice... but I rather like the scent of smoke on you."

The blonde groaned again as liquid heat surrounded his loins. He reached down to the mass of bleached hair and tugged. Soon, Yamato was panting and lost himself in the delusion that he was wanted and bucked his hips more as he neared the end.

Part of him had hoped Reichi would stay with him. Yamato wanted more than anything to make any relationship work, but that wasn't the type of guy Reichi was. Trying not to think of the aftermath, Yamato cried out and released across his lover's cheek.

Reichi didn't mind though; that had been his intention.

Yamato sank to his knees as his strength left him. He trembled and caught his breath, finally finding himself long enough to check the clock. "F-fuck, Reichi, you shou-"

"I guess I'll go climb in bed and wait for you... you owe me after all," the boy grinned, taking his lovely, naked form towards Yamato's room.

Blue eyes watched as his ass disappeared around the corner. Yamato kicked off his jeans near Reichi's clothes, forgetting the consequences. Yamato strolled to his room and closed the door behind him, then looked over at Reichi, laying spread-eagled. Yamato crawled into bed and Reichi took him in his arms and stole a long kiss, nibbling at the boy's lips.

With an excited growl and some playful wrestling between the two of them, Reichi tossed Yamato under him and started for the lube. "What will all those fangirls of yours say now?"

Yamato whimpered as fingers probed through the tight heat inside him, "You're... you're not the first guy I've slept with, you know."

"You get around for a sixteen year old."

"Fuck off, you're a grade below me."

"So, you don't like girls, is that it? I am the first person you've slept with after Takenouchi-sempai, right?"

"I would never sleep with her. Anything she says is a lie."

"Oh?"

Yamato cried out as Reichi's fingers left him aching further, then explained, "Don't get me wrong..." Yamato groaned as he shifted his weight. "I'll take what I can get. I don't care."

"Is that what I should tell all the ladies tomorrow?"

"Shut your face and fuck me already," Yamato demanded.

The other boy laughed to himself and reached around, running his fingers along Yamato's cock. "You're so needy after being trapped with that bitch so long, huh? She wouldn't give anything to the great Ishida Yamato, is that it? So you beat her."

Yamato could feel Reichi's breath against his ear and with no response from the blonde under him, Reichi finally pressed between his lover's legs and gained entrance. Reichi grinned as Yamato clenched the sheet and pillows under him and the singer's beautiful voice was heard when they finally joined together.

Reichi had been amazed at just how quiet Yamato had been up until then. Even in just casual conversation, unless there was something meaningful to be said or a qip to be made, the young man remained stoic. Now, he was like an animal growling underneath Reichi, arching his hips higher.

"You feel wonderful Yamato," Reichi said, pressing himself against the other's back. He kissed him on the back of the neck as he started bucking more steadily. "Fuck.. you're on fire."

"More..." the blonde breathed. "There, there-!"

Reichi complied, thrusting deeper. The two didn't hear the door open, but be damn sure Hiroaki could hear the two boy's from down the hall, even if he was still half awake. He opened the bedroom door as the boys collapsed into various comforts.

"Yamato."

"D-dad?!" Yamato shrieked, scrambling free from Reichi and pulling the covers over himself.

"Fuck," Reichi muttered. "Guess that's my cue to leave."

Hiroaki nodded, giving he boy a stern glare that followed Reichi as he walked out, covering himself, then found his clothes, dressed, bowed, and hurried out. Yamato couldn't look his father in the eyes, Yamato's own face burning with a mix of embarassment and anger.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" Hiroaki demanded.

"Fucking, what does it look like?"

Hiroaki stormed over, raising a hand up, making Yamato flinch, but he didn't bring it down. Hiroaki had sworn off hitting his children after the way his own father had treated him for years on end. "You're too young to be doing this."

"Says who?"

"Says me!" Hiroaki barked, taking a seat on the bed near his son. "I didn't even know you were..." Yamato finally looked at him with wide, blue eyes. Hiroaki read them, begging him not to hate him. "Not that it matters to me. That's none of my business. I'm just worried about your choices."

"...I'm fine, Dad..."

"You only broke up with that girl a few months ago-"

"A little under a month, actually..."

"That's not helping your case here, son. You should at least have the courtesy not to do these things under my roof."

"...whatever."

"Don't backtalk me."

"Fuck off!" Yamato barked angrily when Hiroaki grabbed him by his bangs, "Fuck!"

"Look, listen to me. I'm your father. I love you and I'm here if you need to talk to me. I've been through a lot with you and I'm ready to go through whatever I need to still. But... damn you, Yamato. You can't cut me a break, can you?"

"Dad..." Yamato whispered, recalling when he was just a child and this situation occurred similarly. Except, as a child, Yamato actually cared. By now, he was so numb by his untreated anger that his conscience was lost under the screaming of a six year old boy. "...can you just leave me alone?"

"Yamato," Hiroaki whispered, hesitating to reach his hand out towards his son, finally deciding against it. "If that's what you want, but think about what I said to you? You're too young for this, despite what your mother taught you."

"I get it. Go... pleaaase?"

"We'll talk about this more later, understand?"

"Goodnight, Dad."

"...goodnight, Yamato."

* * *

When Yamato went to school the next morning, he didn't see Reichi right off the bat. Instead, he found Sora, Miyako, Michiru, and Tako conversing just outside their homerooms. They didn't seem to notice Yamato as he approached, although he stayed back as the conversation grew heated.

"I've heard so much, I don't know what to believe," Sora explained. She held her face in one hand, obviously exsasperated.

"I heard he's gay? What the Hell?" Miyako asked, shrugging her shoulders.

"That's not what I heard," Sora sighed.

"Yeah, I heard he'll sleep with anything that moves."

_What the fuck...?_ Yamato growled to himself, turning away and leaning against the wall. He watched as students passed him and he questioned what they were all thinking of him. A small group was pointing his direction from down the hall and started towards him as the girls continued:

"That's unlike him," Sora defended.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Miyako sneered.

Yamato wanted to confront them, but he knew deep down it would only lead to him having to backdown from a fight with a bunch of girls or go down as the biggest fucker in history for killing three young women. Then, Reichi shot Yamato that smile of his as he passed him and joined Sora.

"It's true you know," Reichi started, not looking over to bother if Yamato was eavesdropping. "I mean, I owned him last night."

_What._ Yamato thought, his brow furrowing and his knuckles turning white.

"Ugh. Seriously?"

"It was only a matter of time."

Yamato couldn't take it anymore and stormed over, especially now that he had Reichi to pummel. He pinned the boy up against the wall by his neck with his dominant hand, "What the fuck, Reichi?!"

"Morning... Woah, hey!" he started as Yamato shook him. Miyako instinctively stood between Yamato and Sora less the Christmas incident repeat itself, in her mind. "Ishida, what gives?"

"No one motherfucking owns me, you bastard..." the blonde hissed.

"Hey, r-relax," Reichi began reasoning.

_I... I wanted to start over. I wanted to move on! _"Why are you saying shit about me?"

"I'm just telling everyone what _you_ told _me_," Reichi grinned. "Or are you still the same fucked up, whiny little boy?"

"I'll fucking kill you right now," Yamato stated.

"I doubt that," Reichi replied as their teacher approached, glowering. Yamato let go of the boy and shoved past him. The gaggle of students that had pointed at him earlier chased after him, following Yamato to his desk. It wasn't a completely unusual phenomenon since the Wolves got fairly popular. However...

"Ishida! Does this mean you're free, later?"

Yamato closed his eyes and sighed, "I... I don't think so." Then, Yamato opened his eyes as Sora sat a few rows ahead of him. He glared daggers at her and erased all trace of it as he stared into the eyes of the busty brunette next to him. "Then again..." and he waited and saw Sora slightly glance back.

_You're trying so hard not to show your discontent, aren't you?_

"Wait," one girl piped, "I hear you don't swing for our team anymore."

"I'm open to possibilities," Yamato smiled stupidly. "Seriously, what loser told you that?"

The girls giggled. "Maybe I'll bring my boyfriend..."

One girl slapped the other on the shoulder and the giggling continued. Yamato's eyes darted between them as the persona he would be adopting for the next year started to form a shell around him. He told himself, told his father, he'd never end up like this, but everyone was already on board as if this was what had been expected all along. He was going to roll with the punches, as always.

"Oh," one swooned.

"He's so adventerous," said the third girl.

Yamato smiled to himself as the girl with the boyfriend kissed him. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Sora tapping her pen angrily. When the girl pulled away, she set her hand on her hip and smirked, "You know... I'm having an _exclusive_ party in a few days. Wanna come?"

"Do you really have to ask?" Yamato breathed, running his fingers along her hand.

"Bring a friend, okay?" she said, winking and taking her seat. Yamato watched as she hiked her skirt to sit.

* * *

Over the next few days before the party, the blonde's reputation began to supercede not only Reichi, but anything Yamato had actually done. He had a rather fun time attending a concert with the girl hosting the party and they talked for a long time outside, just smoking cigarettes. He learned her name was Kaselin and she loved to dye her hair different colors. She also had a fondness of drinking, which Yamato had yet to experience in amounts that weren't stolen from his father's fridge.

Yamato ignored Reichi from then on, telling his devoted 'fans' his own version of events: how Reichi (and by extent, Sora) had only wanted to use him. People sympethized with Yamato, but the blonde insisted that he was thankful because 'those fuckers' had opened his eyes to who he really was and now he was enjoying life more than ever... or at least, that's what he was telling people.


	13. Chapter 13: Meeting, Part 1

Evenings

Chapter 13: Meeting, Part 1

A/N: Anyone waiting for me to update "Cross My Heart" or "I Would Lie For You", no worries. I'm touching up the chapters and they will go up soon, likely in a week from posting this.

Thanks for reading, as always :)

* * *

"What I _wanted_ to do was sit around and watch all the porn on your computer and maybe squeeze in some game time after that, but _no_, Dad is insisting on this... whatever he's pulling."

"Not like you would have had time at my place anyway," Jyou sighed, especially at the thought of his best friend rifling through private folders, "My Dad banned you from existence, remember? If he even knew I was here, I'd be on the street..."

"Yeah, sorry about that," the blonde muttered. "Nice to see your arm healed, too."

Jyou nodded. As he glanced around the Ishida apartment, he realized Yamato's last few months of partying had left the place a disaster when usually it was spotless. Hiroaki had apparently lost one jacket under a slew of his work clothes thrown over the back of one of the dining chairs. Yamato's share of bad habits lay nearby: a bottle of a sleep-aid and an empty pack of cigarettes. Jyou had been a bit angry, to say the least, and he almost gave up on the blonde for good, but Jyou had this thing called a conscience and a libido and that drove him more than anything to forgive his friend for his actions, which included something Jyou had wanted to do for years: punch his father, Sho, square in the nose. Mimi had gotten involved, too. She had vowed to "get the old gang back together" since they had drifted so far apart, but that had been failure.

Even as he watched Yamato stare off into space, holding the vacuum cleaner in one hand and the cord he had been unraveling in the other. "Yamato?"

"...sorry?" he whispered. "You... said something?"

"No, but you have been kinda slow unraveling that cord," Jyou pointed out.

"Ah, yeah," Yamato said, then did so and carried the machine across the room. Jyou looked past where the blonde had been standing at the picture of their family- _all_ of them, with a sigh. See, Yamato's father hadn't let his son's promiscuity go unchecked too long and this was some kind of forced therapy that definetly wasn't going to work. If anything, it was going to make things worse. When Jyou had arrived that morning, for example, Yamato had been fairly chipper, probably deciding the entire thing would end up cancelling itself between his parents' busy schedules. Then he started zoning out. _He's worried about Takeru_, Jyou figured. _He's going to see this as an attempt to mend the family again. Next will come the anger..._ Jyou really was glad he couldn't stay because he didn't feel like watching a father and son, or two brothers, fist fight.

The vacuum hummed on and thankfully, the place was almost clean. Sometimes, Jyou didn't understand his friend's feelings. He would sooner see Natsuko strung up in town square for the vultures before he would speak to her, yet he would go out of his way to clean the place and impress her. Or maybe he was reading too far into it and this was just to ease this strange punishment from Hiroaki.

"Jyou..." Yamato mouthed.

The blue haired man cocked his head. The vacuum was too noisy, so Yamato shut it off.

"Jyou?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there any way you can stay?" he pleaded.

Jyou shrugged. He really shouldn't. He and Takeru had once known each other pretty well, but to say they got along anymore was an understatement since Jyou announced his sexuality to the group during the Digital Eclipse. Hiroaki was a hard read and Jyou wasn't sure if the man was a people pleaser or outright stoic. Natsuko on the other hand... Jyou didn't even want to consider the last time they had technically met, he was taking Takeru as far away from her as he could- to fight Vamdemon nonetheless, but the wording remains. That left Yamato... Jyou had hoped the two would have acted further on what went on in the Digital World, but when they had went through the Gate, there seemed to be too much on Yamato's mind and the boy ignored him. Jyou didn't tread closer and Yamato never said a word. To say they were friends now was pushing it in Jyou's mind. "I really... I really shouldn't."

"I understand," Yamato replied, his voice cracking. Jyou studied the boy's fists, already shaking at his sides.

_Why do you have to stand there and look like you're already going to have another mental breakdown? You already had one in front of me over Takeru, I don't think I can handle this, either, but there you are, ready to fall to your knees and cry. Damn it, Yamato, can't you handle anything?_

Jyou wasn't sure where his sudden anger had come from. Possibly because this was one of multiple occasions where Yamato called out of the blue, taking the only section of free time from Jyou's schedule, asking a favor. Not that Jyou had any favors needed in return, but why him? "Yamato, I need to ask you something."

The blonde looked up suddenly and his near-tearful expression coupled with shock reminded Jyou of how he looked in the mirror when Princess died. "...why me?"

A smile crossed Yamato's face, "What do you mean?"

"Why do you ask me instead of Taichi or Koushiro? Or anyone else?" Jyou pleaded. "Why me?"

Yamato sighed. He still loved the boy, that was true, but he knew it was too late to express things now. After everything with the Dark Masters and the busy schedules that hindered them until he and Sora started dating... it was just too late to tell him that. _So, what am I going to tell him?_ _Ah. I know._ "We're friends, Jyou. That's what friends do, right?"

Jyou blinked. How could the blonde remember word-for-word what he had said that day? The day Yamato's crest glowed. "Uh... right!"

"I'm really glad you're here, but I understand you've got a life to live right? I don't know why Dad thinks this is going to magically fix everything... doesn't he know I just really, really like getting laid?"

Jyou squirmed a second. _Or, you know, he sees what the rest of us see. You're hiding something. I don't even think you know what it is you're covering up._ _And do you have to be like that? So damn psuedo-shallow? I can't stand it!_ "Yamato, maybe your Dad has a point..."

"What?" the blonde snapped.

"You and Sora. It's because of your mother, right?" Jyou insisted. _God, Kido, stop pushing him away... But this needs to be said. Someone has to. _

"If it was, what does it fucking matter now?"

_So, that's a yes, then. Figures. You're just trying to prove you can handle a relationship, then. But look at you, one night stands have nothing to do with love, Yamato. I don't even blame you for not knowing that._ "I may be out of line here."

"Really? Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Yamato, don't get angry with me. I'm trying to help you."

"Don't bother. This isn't going to work, whatever the Hell you have to say _isn't going to work_, and nothing has ever fucking worked!" he barked, throwing the vacuum to the ground. "Now, will you just fucking leave?"

Jyou sighed. He had said what he needed to say and maybe it would sink in, but he doubted it. He did have to be going before his father returned and noticed he wasn't locked up like the prisoner he was. "Take care, Yamato."

"Yeah, whatever," the blonde breathed, walking Jyou to the door. Jyou slipped on his shoes and stepped out. Yamato slammed the door shut and as Jyou walked away he heard a loud thud against the wood- likely the blonde punching the door. _Better than my face, I suppose_, Jyou thought, letting his hands fall to his sides as he walked. _I didn't get to say, though, that you need to want to help yourself... but maybe he'll figure that out on his own._

Yamato ran a hand over his face and growled, trying to calm himself. He hurried to pick up the vacuum and put it away, then sat at the couch and waited in silence. Minutes passed by slowly and all he could do was fume over Jyou's words. Who cared if he was right?

A knock at the door and, "Niisan?"

_Takeru..._ Yamato's hand trembled. They hadn't spoken since Mimi's gathering and before that weren't speaking at all. "Come in."

Takeru stepped inside. Yamato found it odd that Natsuko wasn't with him, but he wasn't going to ask. He was too distracted by Takeru's neat form of dress and the rosary around his neck. "Mom's on the way," Takeru noted simply, "I wanted to talk to you anyway."

"Oh, really?"

"...did you think at all about what I said to you before?" Takeru questioned, placing his shoes near the door. He strolled over, inspecting the place. "At least cleaneliness is next to Godliness," he breathed, but he showed dissatisfaction on his face. "Are you keeping yourself clean?"

Yamato grimaced. His brother had changed so much in the last few years. Losing the Digimon had been difficult for all of them, but for Takeru, Yamato felt he took it the hardest. All this Godly bullshit Natsuko had once tried shoving down Yamato's throat, too, was Takeru's cloak. _This is what Jyou was saying_, Yamato thought. _But I don't care. I'm alone now, so what does it matter what I do to myself? _

"You're not talking to me?" Takeru insisted, sitting next to him.

Yamato flinched at his touch, old feelings never going completely away. "I don't know what I can say to you to make you approve of me, now."

"It's never too late to believe in something greater, Yamato," Takeru said. "The devil's infected you. I've seen it before. You're easily manipulated. But if—"

"Takeru, stop, please. Talk to me like you've got a damn mind of your own for once."

Takeru glared, "I'm just trying to help you."

_Oh. My. God. Would all of you motherfuckers stop saying that?!_ Yamato seethed, leaning further away from his brother with crossed arms.

About this time, talking erupted from the other side of the door, drawing the boys' attention. Their parents entered.

"I don't think this is going to work, Hiro-"

"It was Takeru's idea..." Hiroaki started. Yamato glared at his brother, but Takeru's eyes were too focused on his mother who was struggling to take off her shoes. She had grown tired and depressed and now she was on medication for it. It helped with the pessimism, but it didn't help the overwhelming fatigue. She was suffering from a small cold, too. "I see you two have already started talking."

"Yes," Takeru said. "He's belligerent as ever. I don't know how you deal with him."

_I don't_, Hiroaki thought, helping Natsuko with her other shoe. He held her and helped her to the recliner to sit. Yamato's eyes flared towards his father and they exchanged angry glances. "Yamato, talk to her."

Natsuko raised her head weakly. She smiled at the sight of him- something that turned Yamato's stomach, but he straightened up. He was better than her, better than anyone in the entire room. He pursed his lips, though, refusing to speak. Natsuko's smile faded quickly, but she did her best not to cry, looking at Takeru.

"Yamato!" hissed Hiroaki.

"Hello," the son breathed.

"Yamato... thank you for doing this," Natsuko said, shifting her hand from one knee to the other. "It's very important to Takeru."

"Anything to oggle me in person, right?" Yamato snapped with a smirk that chilled the room.

Natsuko flinched and sat back in the chair. Hiroaki growled as Takeru grabbed his older brother's sleeve, "I brought you here to explain yourself to your family and God, so do it."

"I don't have to hand myself over to some diety," Yamato hissed.

"Better than handing yourself over to lust and pride!" Takeru barked.

Yamato grasped Takeru's collar, pulling the boy to his face and looking him in the eyes. The blonde had sickenly dreamt of this many times and pushed his brother away.

"Yamato, what Takeru is trying to say is that we're concerned about you. I know I'm not always there for you, but you can always turn to us if you need anything."

Yamato took in his father's words and tried to be civil for a moment, "What I do with my life is none of your business."

"As long as you're under my roof it's my business," Hiroaki ordered. The entire thing came out so awkward between his lips.

"Why do you insist on worrying them?" Takeru asked.

"It's not my fault they care about me—" Yamato started, but realized what he had said. He turned away a moment. He felt Takeru's hand on his back and shrugged it away.

"We _all_ love you, Yamato, despite whatever it is, for whatever reasons, that you don't love yourself," Hiroaki said, looking to Natsuko. She was still staring at her hands, because if she looked up, Yamato was likely to start screaming at her, or talking about her like she wasn't there. "So, just promise us that you'll do better."

"...the draft of my novel's almost done, Niisan," Takeru urged, taking his brother's hand. "I... really want you to read the ending and let me know what you think."

"...yeah," he replied, happy just to hear his little brother's voice and not the horn of God for five seconds.

"...I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to make you worry," Yamato breathed. Hiroaki noted how he looked just like his mother, the two of them sitting, staring at their clasped hands, unsure of what to do. Trust had long since broken and neither of them- no one in that room, really –knew what to do to fix it. Maybe it couldn't be fixed. Yamato tried to give a good reason for his behavior, but it really boiled down to the things Jyou had pointed out to him and he couldn't say that.

"Come on, I brought a copy of the book with me," Takeru insisted, standing, tugging on Yamato's arm. The entire thing felt like reliving a memory and he smiled, going over to the front door and waiting as Takeru dug through his bag for his manuscript.

"Yamato," Natsuko started, holding back tears.

For a second the blonde turned to her and didn't feel resentment, "...what is it?"

She didn't look up at him, that was the only way he had managed those three words at all. "I... I want you to do something great with your life."

Yamato made a quiet noise that was as much of a confirmation as she was going to get and for a small moment she could smile. She had fully expected him to stand up and start accusing her, do something melodramatic like toss his shirt at her with some equally as humiliating comment to go with it, and then storm out. But somehow the four of them managed, for one afternoon, to at least tolerate each other's prescence. Natsuko thought that maybe things would get better, but she could only hope for him, not herself. He would never forgive her, not that she wouldn't keep trying.

The two brothers talked a moment in hushed whispers and Takeru hurried to Yamato's room to plug in his laptop. "I didn't mean to leave the manuscript at home.. I got sidetracked self-editing..."

Yamato laughed and followed him, not bothering to look at his parents. Hiroaki was already half way through a cigarette when he turned to Natsuko. "That's the only time I see him happy. A shame they're growing apart so quickly..."

"Yamato pushes people away. What can you do?"

"He made so many friends. I don't understand," Hiroaki replied.

"People change," Natsuko whispered.

* * *

Yamato leaned over his younger brother's shoulder, "...an astronaut, really?"

"What?" Takeru chuckled, turning around in the chair.

"Isn't that a little random?" the blonde laughed in disbelief.

"Not really... when we were kids, you loved space," Takeru sighed. "Remember that solar system you built? You even included the _moons_. Not just our moon, but all those moons no one gives a damn about."


	14. Chapter 14: Meeting, Part 2

Evenings

Chapter 14: Meeting Part 2

A/N: Anyone waiting for me to update "Cross My Heart" or "I Would Lie For You", no worries. I'm touching up the chapters and they will go up soon, likely in a week from posting this.

Thanks for reading, as always :)

* * *

Hiroaki peered in on his seventeen year old son with worry. How long was he going to lock himself in his room? The father began to suspect that the "meeting" hadn't been the best course of action as he watched his son sleep. He had done it mostly after Takeru had spent an hour convincing him and Hiroaki had to admit he had been avoiding it for a long time. This thought reoccured to him now.

"I've been avoiding you your whole life. I don't mean to. I guess it's just how my father was. I don't know any better. I want to try harder. I've always made myself open for you, but just saying it isn't the same as doing it, now is it?"

Hiroaki left his son to sleep in peace.

Except, Yamato wasn't sleeping. He never had a good track record for that. He wasn't sure how long he had been staring at the wall, watching the shadows of the rain as they beat down against the window behind him. He wasn't sure about anything as salt dried against his cheeks. He assumed he had been crying.

_I'm depressed_, he realized. _Dear God, what's happening to me?_

The blonde sat up, his unwashed hair molded with a dent against the side of his head. He ruffled it loose with his hands and took a breath. He pulled the comforter back over his waist, as if ashamed for his behavior. Part of him was, but not enough of him to actually do anything on his own.

So what was different now?

His father's words? No.

Takeru was a brainwashed slug of the Lord. Yamato had nothing personal against one's faith- Hell, Jyou had been a witch of all things –but Yamato could say without regrets that he hated God. For letting all of this happen to him. He probably hated God more than his mother. Or, well...

Yamato had hated himself for a long time, too.

_"Yamato... I... I want you to do something great with your life."_

His mother's words had repeated in his head all night. In a way, it was a blessing not having to hear her voice making other sounds he had buried under alcohol and bedmates.

"Fuck," the blonde breathed, taking out a cigarette. "I don't have to listen to her."

_Yet, she's the only one to get through to you. Not your father, Takeru, or even Jyou, but __**her**__. _

"For fuck's sake," Yamato breathed, throwing his head in his hands.

_ "Remember that solar system you built? You even included the moons. Not just our moon, but all those moons no one gives a damn about."_

"Space..." Yamato mused, laying back in his bed. If he looked behind him through the slits in the drawn blinds, he could see the overcast morning trying to peek through. He briefly recalled his ride on Imperialdramon with Daisuke, Gennai, and Ken. He had _actually been in space_ and _saw a NASA shuttle_ so close he could reach out and touch it.

His self-titled 'intervention' had been a week ago now and he had barely moved. Before that, he had thrown himself into a life of sex, drinking, and avoiding his life entirely. He had hoped to block out memories, but he found the entire mess was making things worse.

Everyone had told him that, but Yamato didn't want to listen. He wanted to ride it as far as he could go and now he was at the precipice. He had always been a child that pushed the boundries of everyone around him, something, he learned, that wasn't uncommon for kids with what Yamato considered 'his condition'.

The main reason he had never told anyone was because of that look.

Like the one the school staff had given him. He had been brought in for some kind of threat.. Yamato didn't remember it clearly now, but he remembered that look the principal had given him and it made him feel naked and ashamed, like his mother had made him feel.

Just the night before he woke from a sort of... out of body experience in the shower- he avoided baths whenever he could –and he wasn't sure what to do so he stayed there until the hot water ran out and his father finally stepped in.

Hiroaki had barely cracked the door. For the first time in a long time, Yamato felt awake. He realized how awkward things must be for his father to not even bring himself to check on his own son in fear of stepping on toes, to put it lightly. "I'm... fine, Dad. I guess I was thinking."

Over the last few days, Hiroaki had absorbed himself in work more than ever. He didn't blame his father for not being able to change. Yamato knew it would have been easy to fall back into the life he had grown accustomed to, but his mother's words.

_ "Yamato... I... I want you to do something great with your life."_

Damn those words.

Yamato made a visit to the library.

* * *

The blonde groaned at what would probably end up being a pulled shoulder as he grabbed a book from the top shelf without help or a ladder, then added it to the stack piling up in his arms. He thought of Jyou when he had all those address books and imagined them as a pile of anatomy books as he carted his own stack back to the table and flopped them down noisily, letting them scatter across the table.

A young woman was sitting at the end and glared at him. Yamato didn't take the time to argue with his own self-esteem about the many reasons why she had glared at him and instead gathered the stray books and sat down.

"How does he do this every waking minute...?" Yamato whispered to himself, still thinking of Jyou. They were officially not speaking, he supposed. Yamato made a mental note to take care of his entirety of burned bridges later and cracked open the first book he had grabbed: _Black Holes_. "Haa, haa," Yamato mused sarcastically, giving a glare up at the God he didn't believe in. "My whole life has been just that. Thanks. Thanks!"

The girl at the table scoffed and gathered her things and left. The blonde stuck his tongue out as she left, but then overheard a conversation.

"Oh, hey Rini, where are you going?"

"Some creep sat next to me, talking to himself. I think I'll leave for today."

"B-But aren't we protesting later?"

"I'll get back to you," 'Rini' replied.

The other voice sounded strangely familiar. Yamato remembered it like a fuzzy dream. Then suddenly it dawned on him. "Nana?" he questioned, turning to look at where Rini was now storming off.

"Oh, you're that drunk from Jyou's house," Nana said with a smirk. "Now you're insane, too?"

"Always been, you just haven't noticed," Yamato replied as Nana sat next to him. She had a bag full of poster board and some kind of print outs.

"...Jyou said you two had a fight," Nana replied, staring down at her hands. She was fiddling with the mood ring on her left hand in the place of a wedding ring. The loop didn't look cheap, by any means, as what Yamato recognized as pure silver glimmered under the florescent light.

"Yeah, I fight with everyone."

"Haven't fought with me," Nana chuckled.

"I don't beat up women."

"What about this Takenouchi person?" Nana questioned and Yamato groaned with irritation. She had meant it jokingly and felt bad now that she was irritating him. "I heard it from one of my friends, is all. I don't think you're a bad person. You may have wandered down the wrong road, Yamato, but you can always backtrack." Nana hoped this would cheer him up. Instead he opened the book and began skimming with one finger as he read. Nana eyed the stack: Black Holes, Astronomy, Astrophysics, History of Flight, Space, and... Improving Oneself? "You like to read?"

"Not really," Yamato muttered.

"That's a lot of books for someone who hates reading."

"Don't you have somewhere to be? Like with Jyou perhaps? You know he's a fag, right?"

Nana pursed her lips. "That's awful derogatory for two friends, much less from someone that would sleep with anything that moves, regardless of sex, species, or ag-"

"Don't go there with me," Yamato hissed, slamming the book shut. "Don't just show up because we met once and claim to know me through some shitty rumours. Just so you know, I wasn't always like this."

Nana smiled, "Of course. Jyou's told me a lot about you."

"Whatever."

Yamato clenched his jaw. Why did she have to keep bringing _him_ up? Fuck, why would Jyou be talking about him this much anyway? It was obvious that, since Jyou had watched Yamato in that dark pit that Jyou had seen the truth about him. Yamato was damaged, pathetic, and Jyou obviously didn't want to put up with him. Yamato encouraged this thought through this actions, especially when he used Sho as target practice for his fists. Nana was just being nice. For some reason.

"Jyou... wouldn't talk about me."

Nana blinked and brought her lips together, "B-but he does. He told me the bad stuff, too, but I don't think your past defines you."

"...sorry?" Yamato whispered, almost out of breath that such a reality could be true.

"I've met a lot of people and helped a lot more," Nana said, daring to reach her hand closer to Yamato. She had feelings only for Shinjiro, of course, but that same need to help people she shared with Jyou made her fingers slip over Yamato's. "Can we... just talk?"

"Look," the blonde snapped, pulling away. "I..."

"Talk to me, come on," Nana urged. "Ask Jyou- I don't take no for an answer."

Yamato felt sick and placed his arms around his stomach, leaning over the table. "I can't. I mean, it doesn't bother me."

"Jyou told me you're a caring person. When you guys were in the Digital World, you were always the one worrying about everyone else, but you never worry about you."

Yamato laughed and tried not to let his tears show, "Ha... why are you going into nursing when you're such a damn good shrink?"

Nana smiled and giggled a little. This time, he let her keep her hand on his as she rubbed the knuckles gently. "Well... you must have realized something. This isn't exactly the place to pick up chicks."

"Oh, yeah? Awful lot of sexy bookworms in here."

"Oh, are they your type?" Nana asked with a smirk, flashing her eyelashes.

Yamato found himself blushing suddenly as he thought of Jyou. "Nah... No, like you said, I'll fuck anything that moves."

Nana couldn't help but sense some deeper meaning to the statement and wrinkled her nose, "So, what are we studying to improve our self worth, huh?"

"I just thought, maybe I could go to the air force, NASA, or JAXA, or something..."

Nana grabbed one of the books, her smile never-fading. "Alrighty. You've set a goal. You know... I have a lot of good study techniques."

"Well, when you're basically remembering latin for a living, I can see why," Yamato said, smiling for the first time since Nana sat down, joking for the first time in months. The blonde met her eyes and realized this girl was the two degrees of seperation between him repairing his relationship with his long lost ex. "Nana..."

"Yes, Yamato?"

The blonde couldn't face her answer and quickly grabbed the books to take home. Nana watched him in silence and as the future-spaceman started for the desk he whispered, "Tell Jyou I'm sorry."


	15. Chapter 15: Flashlight

Evenings

Chapter 15: Flashlight

* * *

He hid under her bed this time—maybe she wouldn't find him until his Dad got home. Then again, he dreaded that almost just as much, considering they would just fight about him, or, so a child would assume. He never heard his name, except when it dribbled out from between his mother's lips. He heard talk of 'acting strange', 'this is all I can do', and false promises.

He tucked his Sentai flashlight close to his chest and curled against the harsh carpet. Sleep would come to him soon and she wouldn't find him here. Yamato was a bit envious; Takeru was staying with one of their aunts for a few days while the parents 'worked things out'. Yamato wanted to go, too, of course—but that wasn't happening. Not while his mother was around and his school was insisting that was the last thing a troubled boy needed.

"Yamato? Yamato! I'm too tired for this!" called his mother.

The boy just nodded his head and backed further against the wall—if she did find him, maybe her claws wouldn't reach him. Or maybe he could blind her with the flashlight again. That had worked once before.

He heard her step into the room. Surely she was looking for him to do things that had become _too_ frequent, _too_ strange and confusing, and sometimes even _painful_. He watched her slippers cross the carpet and closed his eyes when he saw her palms hit the floor.

"Yamato. You need to go to bed. Come out from there!" she insisted.

"No!"

"Please, baby? You have school in the morning."

"No," he repeated, this time in a shakier voice. His eyes were hurting from keeping them scrunched closed and so they opened to meet the matching eyes of his mother. "You just do weird things."

Natsuko ran one hand over her face and she leaned down further on her opposite elbow, "Ya-Yamato, come on, just come out. I won't hurt you."

"Liar," he insisted, pointing the flashlight at her. How he wished it were a real gun, like the super heroes on TV. Then he could turn his mother back to normal, to the person he was slowly forgetting with every caress and whisper.

She reached out to him and he flipped it on, putting his faith in some kind of forlorn hope, but the light didn't even flicker. Terrified, he shook it. With a whine, he realized it wasn't coming on. He shook it again, but it was still just darkness.

* * *

"It won't glow," Yamato whispered to himself. All the voices around him, especially the worried pleading of his partner, weren't getting through. When he tried to answer for his own failures, only scared whimpers escaped him. He didn't have time to run, to hide, as eyes burned into him. Especially Taichi, who was long since fed up with his best friend's attitude. Kiwimon was already on them, but Yamato was frozen, staring at the lifeless crest in his hands. Gabumon rushed over to him; never seeing the blond so scared in his life.

"Yamato? Yamato, what's going on?"


	16. Chapter 16: Fault

Evenings

Chapter 16

Fault

Summary: Yamato's children, staying with their Aunt and Uncle, reflect on what has made their life a mess as of late.

A/N: This is a companion piece to Angel Weasel-Woman's "Check Please". Part of our headcanon.

Tsukuyomi curled against the stuffed animal he had since he was a small child. He remembered that someone named Mimi had made it and given each of the kids one. His was orange, with a white underbelly and a horn. The red eyes were fading to pink by now. Somehow it made him feel more alone, even if he was shoved into a room with his two cousins and sister.

He couldn't sleep, despite his cousins sleeping soundly. His mind wandered with worries that shouldn't befall any kid his age. He knew his father was 'okay', but why hadn't he come to visit? He was too scared to ask Auntie Hikari, much less Mr. Takaishi. _Maybe Dad... maybe he's forgotten us. Maybe he hates us. What he did, it must be our fault... No, Sis can't be at fault. It must just be me. Pathetic me._

"Hana?" he whispered into the dark. No answer made him feel more alone. He knew his sister wasn't asleep because she wasn't tossing and whining. "Hana!" he hissed a little louder, but his voice had become so frail, so unsure that it wasn't much above a whisper anyway.

Unable to gain her attention, he crawled out of the bed and wandered over to her curtain. He gave a little knock on the wood of the bed to let her know he was poking his head in.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

Tsukuyomi saw she was cuddled against the wall. He stuttered, trying to say something, anything. "H-h-hana, I can't, can't sleep."

"Go back to bed and close your eyes."

"I tried that. Can't I sleep with you?"

"Whatever," she mumbled. Hana pulled her pillow closer. Maybe there was a sniffle.

Tsukuyomi climbed in. After a few minutes of silence (and still unable to sleep), he spoke again, "D-Do you think Dad... l-l-left us, left us?"

"He wanted to die. It's fucking obvious," Hanako continued to mutter. She had picked up some language in her first few days with her male cousins.

"I m-miss when he s-s-sang to us."

"Well, forget it."

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have cried when you hit me."

Hanako had to pay special attention. That was probably the first sentence without a stutter he had managed since that night. Guilt stabbed her in the chest and she hiccuped. "You're silly. This entire thing is my fault. Always has been."

"W-What?"

"This entire thing is about me. Mom and Dad..." Hanako took a deep breath. "You've heard them when they fight."

Tsukuyomi had heard them. He just didn't put it together. Maybe he _wanted_ this mess to be his fault. Sometimes he felt left out. Then, he came to live with his Aunt and Uncle and finally felt he had a place where he belonged. Now, Hanako was the one being left out. "I'm sorry."

"...for what."

"Nothing."

"Go to sleep."

"I told you, I can't sleep," Tsukuyomi reminded. "H-h-hana, do you think, think that we'll l-l-live here forever?"

"Go. To. Sleep."

"Talk to me. I wanna talk."

"Shut up."

Tsukuyomi finally gave up. He found himself staring at the ceiling for most of the night. When he did finally sleep, Hanako would kick him awake. Tsukuyomi crawled out from the bed eventually, the glow of the alarm clock the only thing lighting his way to the living room. He opened the door and went to the couch. His father always slept on the couch. Maybe he could sleep better there, too.

Sometime in the early morning, Hikari woke to prepare for a long day of teaching, worrying about bills, and dealing with her husband's stubbornness.

She didn't even notice the boy on the couch until she turned on the kitchen light, which overflowed somewhat into the living room. She frowned and put the coffee on. While it boiled, she walked into the living room. She sat next to Tsukuyomi and gently shook him awake.

"Tsuku, honey?"

"Mmm? Mom?"

"It's Auntie Hikari, sweetie."

"Oh. I'm s-s-sorry if I w-w-wasn't, w-w-wasn't, s-s-"

"Calm down, Tsuku," Hikari urged, gently patting his back. "I'm just wondering why you're sleeping out here?"

"...Dad always, always s-s-slept on the couch. I... I..."

Hikari waited. He was thinking more than stuttering. When he trailed off, she gave the boy a smile. "What do you want for breakfast today?"

"N-n-nothing. I wanna see Dad."

_I have no idea where he is,_ Hikari thought and almost said the words out loud. She didn't want the boy to think his father was missing. Certainly he was safe somewhere. The hospital wouldn't jettison him into the street, she hoped. "I'll see what I can do. You must want to eat something. Is there anything you really like? Pancakes, maybe?"

Tsukuyomi thought about it. Their mother used to make them cinnamon pancakes, but he wondered further about Kazuki and Lucian. He couldn't ask for something they didn't like. He just tossed his head and curled back into the couch.

Hikari decided that was fine and found a spare, small blanket and covered up Tsukuyomi. Poor thing had slept all night without anything to keep him warm. As she heard the coffee pot finish, she wished she had more time to tend to her nephew.

She hadn't but started the batter for pancakes when a scream startled her. Hikari dropped the spatula onto the tile floor and rushed around the edge of the island towards the children's room. She heard her bedroom door open and glanced back just long enough to see a weary Takeru rubbing his eyes.

"What the Hell is going on?" he demanded. Hikari smiled inwardly; she almost found Takeru _human_ when he was half-awake. She then turned to the kids' room. Her boys were staring over at Hanako's bed, where sobbing was coming from.

"Hanako? Hanako, are you alright sweetie?" Hikari urged, rushing over behind the curtain. The girl was curled into her pillow trying to catch her breath. Hyperventilating, even. Hikari urged her to breathe. Hikari couldn't help but be reminded of a similar look that had crossed Yamato's face when she first met him.

They had been waiting so long for Taichi to return that the awkward young boy had nearly drifted to sleep leaning against the support post of the building, only to give a small gasp as if his mind had scared him back awake.

"Hanako, you're here with your family. It's safe."

Takeru scoffed and said he was going back to bed.

Hikari pursed her lips at him, thinking, _How many times have you seen that same expression on your brother's face and done nothing?!_

"There's no guns here, right...?" Hanako managed.

"N-No, no sweetie. It's safe." Hikari sighed and pulled the child close to her. The mother struggled with her own sympathy for the girl's father and rage that he could do such a thing. Briefly, a thought crossed her mind, _You can't say that you wouldn't ever do something like that. How much longer until Takeru becomes insufferable? How much longer until you can't take living here anymore? Yamato, you were so tired, weren't you? Giving up so much to hold your family together. You snapped. I can't. I can't. I hate you because I can't just take the easy way out. I never can._

Another sigh passed her lips. "Breakfast is almost ready. Why don't you go wash up with your cousins and meet me at the table?"

Hanako nodded, her mind still in a daze.

She had just been scolded by Yamato that morning. She didn't mean to hit Tsukuyomi. She wasn't even sure why she did it. She just felt like she was allowed to. Her Mom had done such things and he didn't scold _her_. But Dad had scolded her. Then when he came home, their parents had their usual bout of arguing before bed. Tsukuyomi usually had his headphones in, but even he was curious as to where their father had been all day.

Then, Hanako could hear her mother banging on the bedroom door. That had never happened before. Tsukuyomi urged her against it, but Hanako tiptoed over to the door and cracked it. She couldn't forget how loud the gunshot was. Like a firecracker. Her mother's scream was difficult to identify. One of anger and worry, perhaps. Still, it was as loud as the gunshot. Hanako remembered the smell, too. She tried to go to her mother, but Sora shoved her away.

Hanako retreated back to the room, the smell of gunpowder slowly filling the house. And a hint of something else, like copper.

She hadn't meant to see it. When they rushed her father out the door. She didn't see his face, but there was so much blood, she knew it was bad. She had only seen that much blood on television, and even then, Mrs. Satoshi changed the channel and said that television like that was evil and would rot her brain.

She could barely hear Hikari trying to urge her breathing down and before long she had gone off to the kitchen again.

Hanako peered over to her cousins. They both looked at her like they knew. They knew this was her fault.


	17. Chapter 17: Dumb

Evenings

Chapter 17

Dumb

Summary: Yamato and Yutaka discuss recent events. (Tri-related)

A/N: Impressions of tri. and their (probably true) implications tick me off, so I wrote this. Also, I know Yamato has a completely new band (Knife of Day ftw) but this is the headcanon and it takes place in a slight AT, so yeah.

Pairings: Implied one-sided Sorato

"She loves you. That's why she supports you."

"She just enjoys music, my company. It's not the same thing as _love_. She only goes because she's obligated to." (And, Yamato thought, to hang onto the last bit of rebellion she had against her mother.) "She's my girlfriend. Why should **I **ask her? She should just _go_ if she wants."

"...because of what I just said. Weren't you listening?"

"They're just friends."

"But he asked her out," the red-headed drummer insisted.

"He asked her to a soccer game. Do you know how many times he's done that?"

"On the same day?"

"Saturday is a pretty common day, 'taka."

"You know... for someone who confessed his love to some girl, you sure don't show it."

"Do I need to? You're obviously filling in the blanks." _There's also this little thing called lying, which, I'm sure you know a lot about. I don't want to hurt one of my best friends._

"What do you expect me to do? Ignore the fact that you're leading her on?"

"You only see a piece of what I am, my life, and it's why you don't understand me at all."

"...you're on _this_ again?"

"Because you won't drop _that_."

The two men stared at each other. Fingers that strummed away turned silent.

Reflecting back, that was probably the start of the end of the Teen-Age Wolves, Yamato figured. A fight that had nothing to do with the band at all.


	18. Chapter 18: Reconcile

Evenings

Chapter 18: Reconcile

Summary: Miyako is surprised to see Yamato in her shop and decides it's now or never to reconcile their differences.

A/N: Part of Angel and I's headcanon. After the trial, before V.

I know it has been ages since Angel and I posted! We finished moving and got settled in to our new place, so expect updates coming more frequently~ Whose excited for the Tri dub?!

Pairings: None

* * *

"You'll keep an eye on them? ...and you won't let them go anywhere alone-"

"Yamato, I got it. I raised you after all."

"...ah, good point... but seriously-"

"Seriously. I'm not that far gone yet. Go before I have a heart attack."

"Dad!"

"Just keep an eye on them, don't let her anywhere near them-"

"Yamato. I'll be here all weekend. There's nothing to worry about."

"But-" Yamato's words were cut off as his father gently closed the door, inch by inch. Finally it closed in his face. The blond sighed and gave his shoulders a quick rotation before he forced himself to walk away. Who could blame him, leaving the kids for the first time since that entire _mess_ was settled? Some would say Mr. Ishida wasn't the most reliable person, either, but he was nearing retirement now and barely worked thirty hours a week. That in itself was a miracle.

_I can't be so mean. I've been nothing but a work-a-holic myself, lately._ _My life is settling down so I have time to focus on myself again. I don't have to worry about them... fuck, who am I kidding? I'm worried sick and I just made it to the bottom of the stairs._

Yamato then cursed and half turned on his heels. _I forgot to ask Dad if he wanted to move into Grandma's house after all... even if it is further away... _But Yamato knew he couldn't turn back now or he would have to leave with his kids. His hands were shaking as he made his way to his car and as soon as he got reached for a cigarette, hoping to calm his nerves. Although Hiroaki and him just made reverse lectures on one another for quitting at their old age.

Well, Yamato considered himself decently old by now, anyway.

_I'm out. If I ask Jyou again, he'll kill me. Maybe I can convince him to surgically replace my lungs first. _

Yamato started the short drive out of Odaiba into Koto when he noticed the Ai-Mart and his stomach growling on top of his lack of nicotine. Part of him wasn't sure about stopping in for a visit. Despite Miyako's relentless support of Sora during the trial, Yamato wasn't sure how the entire Inoue family felt about him. His hands were still trembling, however.

He parked and hurried in. Rows upon rows of snacks, many he remembered from the numerous outings of the second gen children years ago. Even the scent of the place recalled the few times he had stopped there on the way to concerts.

Miyako was a stay at home... parent, most of the time, so Yamato fully didn't expect to see her behind the counter when he showed up with a candy bar after spending ten minutes deciding which one. Jyou would scold him for his lateness... but he couldn't worry about that while Miyako was blushing and ringing him up.

"Cigarettes, too. The green ones."

She grabbed them from behind the counter and added them. "It's... been awhile, huh?" she asked finally after a series of nods and scans.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Sora's doing alright, I guess."

"Right."

"Ugh. Yamato. We can't be like this... you know, this weird thing we're doing..."

"I don't know what to say. It's not like we were best friends before. You helped me on that project in middle school and maybe we caught the occasional word from one another, but..."

"None of that matters. We should be friends. I don't like picking sides, you know? But I was supporting Sora. Next to Mimi, she's my best friend in the world... and she had no one."

"_She_ had no one? Please."

"Don't 'please' me!"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Yamato, I'm being serious! Here, take your shit and come sit down and talk with me on my break. I mean it. I need to get this off my chest."

"Apron kinda heavy for you?"

"No jokes, Yamato. I think you've been hanging around Taichi too much."

"In your dreams."

Miyako huffed and handed over the register to one of her sisters. Yamato gave an equally awkward wave—she had been Jun's friend. Guess that whole mess hadn't played out well, either. She gave him that look Yamato was used to seeing nowadays, or perhaps, that look he thought people always saw in him that he only did... now morphed into something tangible.

"Are you coming?" Miyako insisted. She held his groceries, as if luring him to the small eating area at the side of the store.

Yamato followed and took a seat across from her. He glanced at the clock on the wall and back to Miyako, who seemed to be studying him the way she was staring at him. Her hair was a faded mauve now and of course, her hips a bit wider than when she was younger. Yamato realized just then how long it had been since he saw her really face to face. There was the occasional time during when he first dated Sora and more recently during the trial, but his mind had been clouded and he had thrown a dark veil over her which was creeping up now.

"...you hate me, don't you?"

"Of course not. Sora did all that, not you. Honestly, if Taichi had been in the same position, what do you think I would have done?"

Miyako was fighting back tears. Yamato wasn't sure why she cared so damn much. He had the horrible thought that maybe he was forgetting how to be a friend and somehow taking Miyako for granted. "I'm glad. I don't like to fight, you know? I know I'm opinionated and bitchy, but that's my mother in me, I suppose."

Yamato felt his hands twitch. That word or the remnants of his perdition, he wasn't sure which. "Miyako-"

"I just wanted to tell you that I don't hate you and after all that you said up there on that... stage of sorts, I don't believe you could ever make something like that up. I was talking to Mimi and well, she only confirmed more of that for me."

"Mimi?"

"Anyway, that's what I needed to say. I'm sorry for the way I acted, but I had my reasons. I don't want it to be between us. You know, Ken was really happy the way things turned out. I know he doesn't show it, but I think he looked up to you when we were younger, and he sympathizes—Well, I'm rambling, aren't I? You probably need to get back to Koto. Tell Jyou hello for me."

"Miyako, um, slow down. I never hated you. In a way... ugh... I'mkindagladyouweretheretosupportSora, but you can never tell that scheming bitch that."

"Deal. Just don't call my friend a bitch. How would you like it if I called Taichi a bitch?"

"I'd find that very funny, actually," Yamato nearly snickered out the end of his sentence when a smile spread over Miyako's face.

"Go home. Your husband's waiting on you and so is mine."

"I never got to thank him... he's busy and all," Yamato said. Miyako stood and handed the blond his ransomed cigarettes. He stood, too, and they started out the store.

"I'll tell Ken you said hello. Maybe we can have Michiru babysit for you two sometime. She can almost drive, you know."

"Uh, I'll think about it. See what Jyou says."

"Is he still nuerotic as always?"

"What do you think?"

"Take care, Yamato."


End file.
